End of the World
by courage
Summary: In the midst of their struggle against Umbrella Chris is taken. Through a desperate search can the unspeakable love of Jill reunite the tragic couple? Are they willing to go to the end of the world and back again? complete
1. Gone Again

CHAPTER I  
  
Gone Again  
  
Chris sneaked down the hall, carefully taking each patient step. Upon reaching the intersection of the hallway he came to a stop. Double checking that the coast was clear Chris turned back towards the hall and waved his comrades through.  
  
Just as slowly and carefully as Chris had been Jill, Claire, Barry and Carlos paced their way down the long hallway.  
  
Their journey to this point had been an incredible one. Sacrifices had been made, and decisions had been declared all of which had been leading up to this very day.  
  
Chris had spent a lot of time traveling round Europe gathering information on Umbrella. Ever since the mansion incident the former S.T.A.R.S unit had been working nonstop to put an end to the world's number one unknown enemy.  
  
His time in Europe was well spent obtaining valuable information about Umbrella's evil corporation, but the day when he received the e-mail from Leon Kennedy was when Chris felt his very earth come crashing to an end.  
  
He never meant to get Claire involved in any of this, even though Chris should have known better; it truly was his last wish.  
  
Chris rescued Claire and together they escaped to Paris. They spent a few quiet months there before the action broke out again.  
  
Returning his attention back to the mission Chris waited for his team to join him. He made a hand signal for everyone to move forward and turn left. Chris waited for everyone to pass him before he continued now bringing up the rear of the group.  
  
Swiftly Barry now led the way down the hall followed closely by Claire and Carlos. Jill staggered behind for a second giving him an affectionate soft pinch on them arm before following the other's suit.  
  
If there was one larger regret for Chris then letting his sister get involved in this mess it would be leaving Jill behind in Raccoon.  
  
A couple days after the mansion incident Jill, Rebecca and himself all met at Barry's to discuss what they would do next.  
  
Rebecca said she wanted to take care of something's out of town. Chris thought she just wanted to get away from it all; he didn't blame her in the least. God, she was only eighteen anyone else her age would have cracked from the get go, but Rebecca stuck through it. Chris admired her greatly for that.  
  
As far as the rest of them went Barry wanted to stay and take care of his family. Jill was supposed to come with Chris to Europe, but at the last minute they decided they needed somewhere to stay behind and gather information. Immediately Chris wanted to reject the idea, but it was Jill's decision so he didn't say anything. A decision which turned out to be one of the worst in his life.  
  
The T-virus broke out in Raccoon, and Jill had a hellish time trying to escape. She was even infected with the G-virus and would have died if her knight in shining armor, Carlos Oliveria, hadn't come along.  
  
They helped each other escape after a little help form Barry. The three had been together ever since.  
  
Chris didn't quite understand Jill and Carlos' relationship, but whatever it was it made him unbearable jealous.  
  
Chris knew he had feelings for Jill. He couldn't quite define them, but he knew they were strong. In the end Chris just wished he was there when Jill needed him the most.  
  
The group had now come to another end of a hallway only this time a steel door stood in front of them. Barry turned around to look at him after a go-ahead nod Barry opened the heavy door.  
  
Going through the door the five of them had come upon an old library. Book shelves ran eight feet high with every inch of them filled. Strategically the five of them spread across the library to explore.  
  
It was only two weeks ago that Chris and Claire had met up with Jill and the others.  
  
Up until Rockfort Prison and the Antarctic Chris had been staying in touch with Barry they had decided back at Barry's apartment to all meet up in Paris the exact location, however, was never decided.  
  
When Chris had tried contacting Barry he was unsuccessful and would be for another two horrible months. It wasn't until a fluke encounter that Chris met up with them again.  
  
Claire had been working at a little café down from their apartment making ends meat. She was pretty fluent in French, Chris who didn't know anything about the culture usually stayed at home.  
  
One night when Claire had been working the familiar figure of Mr. Barry Burton came into the café. Claire not sure if it was really Barry, it been a long time since she seen him last, studied Barry from across the restaurant. She still wasn't even sure until he called out her name.  
  
Along with Barry were Jill and Carlos, who Claire had never met before. Once finished with her shift Claire brought the trio back to their apartment.  
  
It was quite the reunion. It had been a long time since he had seen his S.T.A.R.S teammates. When he first saw Jill he couldn't take his eyes off of her. His heart just started to flutter uncontrollably.  
  
Jill had run to Chris wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. They had stayed in that embrace until Jill broke away to introduce Carlos. Chris didn't know what to make of the Hispanic man then, and he didn't know what to make of him now. It really didn't matter Carlos was now in both his and Jill's lives for good.  
  
Carlos was studying one of the books in the library when Jill comes walking over to him. Chris turned his attention away from the book immediately after seeing Jill approaching him.  
  
"What do you make of all this?" She asked him.  
  
"I don't know it's all too familiar."  
  
"I agree," Jill told him. "That's what frightens me." The terror that came through her voice couldn't be denied.  
  
Chris looked at Jill her eyes focusing on his own. Finding the courage form somewhere unknown Chris took her hand. "Nothings going to happen Jill were all here together that's better then I can say for any of are other situations."  
  
"Oh Chris," She wailed softly so only he could hear. "What.what if we get separated again somehow? I just don't think I can handle that again."  
  
Despite himself Chris smiled, it felt so good to know she cared that much. Still holding her hand Chris told her.  
  
"Jill if that ever happens I'll search for you to the end of the world."  
  
"But"-  
  
"And back again." Chris told her firmly before she could get the rest of her sentence out.  
  
Jill smiled at him the one that made him weak all over. Going on her tip toes Jill reached up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. On her way back down their eyes connected. There was a glowing sparkle in Jill's eyes. Her eyes had always sparkled, but this time it was different.  
  
"Chris."She started, but never got any further because a sudden growl was heard throughout the room. Immediately everyone tensed up gripping their weapons tightly. Chris was holding his doubled barreled shot gun so tightly that sweat startled dripping from his hands. The growl was heard again. Chris watched as everyone's eyes grew big. None of them would ever mistake that sound. It could only be one thing.  
  
"A hunter." He heard Jill whisper.  
  
As soon as the words escaped her mouth Chris heard of claws against tile. As the noise grew louder and louder Chris looked at everyone nervously.  
  
"Run!" He yelled just as there was a bang against the library door. The sound of a heavy body ramming against the door kept repeating as the five of them scurried across the library exciting through the other side.  
  
They were all running down the halls blindly with their guns the only thing guiding them. Nobody stopped until they were forced to. Just as they came to another dead end with steel doors as their only exit two hunters drop down from the ceiling.  
  
Chris wasted no time as he fired off two shots at each of the hunters. Carlos added a few blasts from his assault rifle for good measure.  
  
After they hastily entered through the steel door Chris couldn't believe what he saw as he entered.  
  
* * *  
  
Jill's heart was doing overtime; the fast pace nonstop adrenaline was going to lead her to an early heart attack.  
  
They had just shot down the two hunters and had entered through another steel door. Jill was sure she was going to have her heart attack right there and then.  
  
They were in a small plane room littered with chairs. The chairs were all facing a large window that was on looking a laboratory.  
  
Jill stood there not believing her own eyes there right in front of them the god damn scientist hard at work on the freaking viruses! Once realizing this everyone dropped down below the window hoping none of the scientist saw them. On their stomachs they discussed strategies.  
  
"This is our golden opportunity!" Chris exclaimed. "We can finally get the proof we need to bring these guys down for good and what better proof then the actual god damn virus itself."  
  
"Hey I agree with you amigo, but how do you plan on getting the virus out?" Carlos asked raising a very good question. "It's not like there just going to hand it to us."  
  
Chris laid there silently as Barry spoke up.  
  
"Let's go through the window take the element of surprise. We can have us fellas hold those bastard scientist at gunpoint while you ladies raid around for the viruses. We'll be out of there in three minutes."  
  
What Barry was purposing was rash and could easily result in severe consequences. It was pretty much ludicrous.which probably explains why they all agreed to do it.  
  
On the count of three Barry was to throw one of the chairs against the window. From there the guys were to lead the way with Claire and Jill closely following.  
  
The plan was going perfectly on three Barry threw a chair against the window the glass broke evenly. The guys stepped through the window catching all the scientist off-guard. Once every one of them were on the floor and their hands over their heads was when the girls stepped in.  
  
They quickly started going through the scientists labs. It took a few minutes before Jill finally found what she was looking for.  
  
In with a stack of vials marked viruses. Jill grabbed the one that was marked 'T-virus'. She held the vile up triumphantly and called out to the others.  
  
"I got it."  
  
There was a quick cheer. Instinctively Jill turned to Chris who was smiling at her.it was that moment when they first heard it. The one thing that could really ruin their victory, the one thing that Jill couldn't believe they forgot.the hunters.  
  
There wasn't even time to react. From the window that Barry had broken only a mere three minutes ago came four hunters, all of which had this fierce hunger in their eyes.  
  
One of them jumped on Chris colliding its body with his. She watched in horror as Chris sailed across the room landing on a table covered in vials. The table split in half and splintered all across the room.  
  
Jill started to run desperately to him, but half way there she was cut-off by another hunter. Not holding her gun Jill made a quick move for her hoister, but she wasn't quick enough. The hunter made a slash at her hitting Jill's hand that held the virus. Jill grabbed her bleeding wrist as the vile flew into the air and landed on the floor spilling its contents all over the ground.  
  
Despite loosing the vile it did give her the time to grab her gun from her hoister. She fired six shots then took a bit of guilty pleasure in watching the hunter spasm. However, the pleasure was short lived because almost instantly Chris flashed into her mind.  
  
She continued her dash to his fallen body when a rapid group of shots were fired. Jill felt them buzz pass her head, she quickly turned around.  
  
The laboratory wasn't just filled with her group, the scientist, and the hunters anymore. People in black uniforms had suddenly swarmed into the room. Their rifles pointed and ready.  
  
With three rifles pointed on her alone Jill froze in her place with her hands up, but her eyes never leaving Chris' body which was still lying on the broken table lifelessly.  
  
"Down on your knees!" One of the men in black yelled.  
  
Jill regrettably obeyed. God why hasn't Chris moved yet? She wondered nervously as her knees touched the hard concrete floor.  
  
With both scientist and S.T.A.R.S members on their knees Jill was starting to see little hope of getting out of this one. She soon cursed herself. If there was one thing Jill learned through this whole damn charade was that you can never give up hope, it's the one weapon you have that your enemies don't.  
  
As it turned out hope ironically worked out.  
  
Just as the black uniformed bastards started kicking them to move that familiar growl was heard again. The hunters where coming again.  
  
Taking their rifles off them no one wasted the opportunity. Everyone got up and started moving for their whole in the window, Jill ran to Chris.  
  
Breathe had stopped coming to Jill's lungs upon seeing Chris. His body lied there limp, and his eyes were closed tightly, not a muscle was moving.  
  
She ran to kneel down by him feeling warm tears forming in her eyes.  
  
"Chris, come on Chris." She whispered. When there was no response Jill instinctively felt his pulse .thank god it was still there.  
  
The firing was starting up again. Jill could hear her name being called by the others, but there was no way in hell she was leaving Chris.  
  
"Come on Chris." She cried lifting up his heavy arm and wrapping it around her tired shoulders. She had only carried him a few feet when she felt the explosion.  
  
She didn't know where it came from all Jill knew was the far left wall of the laboratory was taken out, and that her body flew in one direction while Chris' flew in another.  
  
From there everything happened so fast. As Jill started to slowly sit up she saw that the whole room was starting to shake, dead hunters were everywhere and the men in black uniforms could be seen trying to savage anything they could from the laboratory. She looked away from all the chaos and started searching desperately for Chris.  
  
Jill let out a cry of relief when she saw him slowly getting up from his spot on the ground.  
  
"Chris!" She yelled over to him, god how she wished she had never of done that.  
  
Calling out his name drew the attention of the men in black. She heard one of them say to his comrades.  
  
"Let's bring him along; maybe the boss won't be as upset if we had some compensation."  
  
The others seemed to have agreed with him because they started to pursue Chris.  
  
Getting up fast Jill forgot the shooting pain that was coming from her right leg and started to run towards Chris. Fate was against her that day because the moment she started running the room stopped shaking, and started to violently rumble. Pieces of the ceiling were falling down everywhere.  
  
Jill threw a desperate look towards Chris, the men in black now had their arms on him and Chris looked like he was in no condition to put up a struggle. Their eyes connected for what seemed like forever, but really was only a few seconds.  
  
The right wall had now collapsed blocking any chance Jill had to getting to Chris. Her eye's never left Chris' until the men had taken him out of sight.  
  
Jill started to frantically pick up the fallen debris. This just couldn't be happening, not after all that time apart, not after they had finally reunited.  
  
Jill barely noticed that the building was coming apart until she felt a firm hand on her shoulder. At first she thought it was Chris, but reality soon hit her as soon as she heard Carlos' thick accent.  
  
"Come on Chica, this place ain't gonna last much longer."  
  
"But.but.Chris." Jill protested as tears ran down her cheek.  
  
"Where is he?" Carlos asked confused.  
  
"Those bastards in black took him."  
  
Carlos looked at her with deep sympathy. Using a gentle soothing voice he said to her.  
  
"Then he's gone Jill, but if we don't get out of her right now were never going to get the chance to find him."  
  
Jill looked around, things were defiantly going to start coming down any minute, but she just couldn't get herself to leave Chris.  
  
"God Jill we got to leave now!" Carlos yelled his voice now very impatient.  
  
In her mind she knew she had to leave, but her heart just wouldn't let her go. Finally Carlos took the initiative. Picking Jill up by her waist Carlos lifted her up over his shoulders. Not putting up a fight Jill let Carlos carry her out the room. He didn't drop her until they were back in the hallway.  
  
Neither said a word they just ran like hell. The place was coming apart around them, but nobody did anything except run. Jill wasn't even conscious of her actions until they were outside the laboratory. They had only gotten a few yards when the blow of the building exploding lifted them off their feet and flew them yards away.  
  
Landing on the dirt she felt her shoulder scrape against the gravel. Gritting her teeth against the pain Jill looked up at the one time building. Nothing was left. Absolutely nothing.  
  
"Chris." She whimpered to herself as the events of what had taken place in the last thirty minutes were finally falling into place.  
  
Jill heard footsteps behind her she turned around only to see Barry, Carlos and Claire standing there somberly. Claire was having a steady stream of tears rolling down her cheek.  
  
Getting up from the ground Jill walked over to Claire. She took her by the shoulders so the only focus they had was each other.  
  
"He's alive Claire, and were going to find him." Claire nodded wiping the tears from her face.  
  
The two hugged tightly. Claire had courage that Jill could only dream about. When they hugged Jill could feel some of that courage feed into her.  
  
They were going to find Chris, they had to because there was no way that Jill was going to loose him again. She do whatever it took, even if it meant she had to go to the end of the world and back again. 


	2. Further Cruelities of Evil

CHAPTER II  
  
Further Cruelties of Evil  
  
Since the events at the laboratory Claire hadn't been able to sleep. Of course she would doze off, but nothing ever longer then an hour or two. Every waking moment her mind was on Chris, and worries of him were enough to keep her up at nights. Was he alright, where was he taken, will they ever see him again? The questions were the worst part because they never had any answers.  
  
For all Claire's sorrow there was one person whose suffering may even surpass her own.  
  
Since the laboratory Jill had gone through three phases. First denial; this can't be happening, Chris can't be gone again. Second was anger; how the hell could we let them take him? Why the fuck is this happening? Lastly there was sadness, which is maybe Jill's way of showing acceptance; Chris is gone.  
  
Whatever her phase may be everyone else was busy trying to come up with a plan to find Chris. Everyone had ideas, but as far as to where to begin no body had a clue.  
  
The four of them were all staying in Claire and Chris' little apartment in Paris. Claire had grown to hate Paris; horrible things seemed to happen here. First there was her capture at the Umbrella headquarters, and now this. Given there have only been two major instances, but it still was enough to make Claire loath the city of love.  
  
Now that she had time Claire was starting to wonder why she infiltrated the facility in the first place. At the time they had no idea there was a laboratory there. They where just hoping for some documents, but thinking back were the documents worth the risk? At the time probably not, and now. defiantly not.  
  
It wasn't until three days later that any action was taken; or rather any action was decided to be taken.  
  
Jill had just come out of her three phase process. No body had said a word to her since the incident, no one had dared to. She came out of the room that she and Claire were sharing on the third day. Barry, Carlos and Claire were all talking about hundreds of not important things, but as soon as Jill came into view everyone went dead silent.  
  
Jill stared at each of us. In a small, yet determined voice she says to everyone.  
  
"Were going to find him."  
The five words were so final, so set, so exactly what Claire needed to hear. Getting up from her spot on the couch Claire moved over to Jill so they were face to face.  
  
In a voice that was just as determined, just as final Claire said to Jill.  
  
"I know we are."  
  
And that was it the balls were moving. Now there was no force on earth, not even god damn Umbrella, was going to stop them.  
  
As the others were talking at the dinner table Claire quietly walked over to the window. It was a clear blue sky day, the kind of day that just made you want to go and accomplish something, and it did.  
  
Talking to no one in particular Claire whispers into the air.  
  
"We'll find you Chris no matter what."  
  
Claire knew they would too. She never believed in anything so much in her life.  
  
* * *  
  
Confusion, utter confusion. That's what Chris Redfield woke up to when he found himself in a cold, dingy, dark cell. That, and a splitting headache.  
  
For the life of him Chris couldn't remember anything after they infiltrated the facility that one of Carlos' pals hinted about.  
  
Did they make it into the facility? Where was everybody else? Where they alright? What about Claire.what about Jill?  
  
It wasn't the cell that was torturing Chris, it was his own mind.  
  
Chris spent what felt like forever in that tiny cell. Nothing had changed for what must have been a few days, except for the bread and water that was shoved under his cell door three times a day.  
  
Slowly with all time Chris suddenly found himself having he was able to sort of put together what had happened at the facility.  
  
They had gotten in with relatively no problems. Only a couple of sudden run-ins with a few hunters, but nothing that they couldn't handle. It was when they discovered the laboratory that things started to get blurry.  
They were looking around Jill had just discovered something when WHAM! There was blackness after that, but eventually down the line Chris came back to. He saw that the place was coming down and men dressed in black were taking him away. Too weak Chris didn't put up any resistance, he instead put all his strength in getting at least one glance at Jill to make sure she was safe. Searching feverishly around the room Chris spotted Jill.  
  
The walls were coming down around her, but still she stayed were she stood her eyes never leaving his own. There was nothing either of them could do. They were trapped in two different worlds. Their eyes never left each other until Chris was forced out of the room, and out of Jill's sight.  
  
From that point Chris' story was short. They had only walked a few paces when one of the men knocks Chris out with the butt of his gun. From there things went black again until he woke up in the god forsaken cell that he found himself in now.  
  
Time passed so slowly in the cell, and with Chris' only form of entertainment being the creativeness of his own mind he knew from the start that he was in trouble.  
  
His mind couldn't stay clear of all the awful things that were going on in his life. All the people that had suffered because of Umbrella, the comrades he had lost, Claire and that happen to her such as leaving college and losing Steve. Then there was Jill, there was a whole list of troubles just with her alone.  
  
Chris was so grateful when his cell door finally opened and someone came into his little humble cell. That gratefulness, however, was short lived as soon as Chris caught sight of who was actually coming into his cell.  
  
"Hello Redfield," snarled a familiar voice. "Long time no see."  
  
"Wesker," Chris replied through gritted teeth.  
  
Umbrella had formed a lot of hatred inside of Chris, but no hatred could ever amount to the level that Chris held for the man, or monster, standing in front of him.  
  
"I'm glad you're as happy to see me as I am of you Redfield. Like I said it's been awhile."  
  
Wesker's voice always had an arrogant, taunting tone to it. Chris use to ignore it back when he was under Wesker's command. Now the sound just drove him mad with rage.  
  
"So tell me how the others are? How are Miss Chambers and Mr. Burton, or your darling sister?" Chris had to use every ounce of strength he still had in his body not to attack Wesker then and there.  
  
"Oh and I bet Jill is looking sexy as ever."  
  
That was it. All that time of with holding his anger for this one man finally boiled over. Chris not thinking or acting launched himself on top of Wesker.  
  
It was needless to say Wesker made short work of him. Chris hadn't even brought his arm back for a punch when Wesker gave him a powerful kick in the stomach. Chris' body was forced to the back of the cell where he felt his back crunch against the cold cement.  
  
Wesker stepped over his knelt down body. He was laughing what sounded like a sinister cough.  
  
"Redfield there's no room for your lucky tricks in here. Even someone as moronic as you should realized that."  
  
Still catching his breathe Chris asked.  
  
"Wh.what do you want Wesker?"  
  
"Oh Redfield I've missed your bluntness. If you must know I'm going to inject you with a form of the T-virus, and then Umbrella's scientists are going to perform test on you."  
  
Chris glared at Wesker hoping to get a glance of humor; all he found was mad corruption.  
  
"Do what you want you bastard. You know what do your worst you'll get yours in the end."  
  
Chris felt a sharp slap across the face followed by a hard knee in the chest; he bent over gasping for air.  
  
"You know Redfield you've been nothing but a pain in my ass since the day I met you, some drifter from off the streets. All I ever saw you as was one pathetic son-of-a-bitch that was missing the main ingredient for any type of success."  
  
"Yeah," Chris spat "And what's that?"  
  
"Vision. You never saw past the protocol of your job.and of course Jill."  
  
Before Chris could react he felt a sharp prick into his right thigh. He was only given one glance at the needle sticking out from his leg when things became blurry, and then once again black.  
  
Chris awoke in a large poorly lit room filled with small thin cots. However, this being an improvement from his last environment Chris just wanted to know what the hell was going on.  
  
As if a bolt of lightning had hit him Chris suddenly remembered Wesker and.his needle. He quickly moved his eyes to his thigh. There as plain as day was a small light violet bruise. It was obvious that Chris was injected with something now it was only a matter of figuring out what.  
  
Off in his own world Chris didn't even notice when a group of people started gathering around him. It wasn't until one of them tapped him on the shoulder that Chris finally took notice.  
  
"Hi there," said a gentle, angel like voice.  
  
He jumped at the sound of another human being. There where now five people surrounding him. The person who spoke was a young woman, quite beautiful with eye catching curly red hair, blinding emerald eyes, and a definite shapely figure.  
  
When Chris remained silent the woman tried again.  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to alarm you. It's just the five of us haven't seen somebody new in quite some time."  
  
"Where.where am I?" Chris asked trying desperately to gather his composure.  
  
"Your guess is good as any of ours." The woman told him. "The most any of us remember is being in a hospital of sorts, then being injected with something, and finally ending up here."  
  
"How long have you guys been 'here'?" Chris asked rubbing his eyes, he was still a bit sleep from his a come state.  
  
"The five of us have been here for about a year. There were many more of us, but one by one they all got taken away never to be seen again by any of us."  
  
"How were you taken to the hospitals? Don't any of you have families?"  
  
"If we did none of us can remember. The last thing any of us do remember is being in that hospital."  
  
Chris took a moment to take in all that she was telling him. It was obvious that Umbrella was using these people for their experiments. They were human guinea pigs, but if that's what they were then Chris was now one too. Whatever exactly was going on Chris already knew he was in big trouble, and so was this small group of people.  
Interrupting his thoughts was the woman trying to ask him something.  
  
"Do you remember your past?"  
  
"What?" Chris asked trying to re-focus his train of thought.  
  
"Do you remember your past?"  
  
"Oh yes, everything from the good to the bad."  
  
"How did you get here then?"  
  
"Wesker, he.he injected me with something. I was infiltrating an Umbrella facility and I was captured by these people in black. I was brought to a cell where I spent a few days before the injection and waking up here."  
  
Chris looked up at five very confused faces, a sickening feeling was started to over take him.  
  
"You guys have no idea who Wesker or Umbrella is doing you?" They all shook their heads.  
  
So that was it. From that point on those five new people started to become like his new family, even though they would never replace his previous one.  
  
There was three other men; Derek, Mick and Luke. Derek and Mick where both middle aged men a little over the age of forty. Luke was about Chris' age. Derek was a wise guy; everything out of his mouth was either a joke, sarcastic comment, or bitter remark. When he was in a good mood Chris found Derek quite pleasant, but when he wasn't.Chris made sure to stay away.  
  
Mick was incredibly interesting. In his life, before coming to this hell whole, you could tell he was some sort of writer or artist. He always had an interesting spin on things. His eyes always glowed with this hopeful knowledge. Knowledge of what Chris wasn't sure, but it was always there even in the darkest of moments.  
  
Luke was the quietist of the five. Mid-twenties and well built you could just tell Luke was just itching to get out and stretch his legs. Sometimes after long hours of silence Luke would suddenly get up in a fit of anger. He would flip over the cots and relentlessly start to kick the concrete walls. Chris never blamed him. If he had been here for over a year he would go crazy too.  
  
As for the two women they were both incredible kind, especially considering the circumstances. Cindy was an older woman, who defiantly must have been a mother. She was always nurturing, even at times pestering, but only in a way that a mother could. She took care of everyone, and even though they would all make snide remarks Chris knew they all greatly appreciated it.  
  
Then there was Jamie. Chris wound up talking to her the most. She was the same age as he was. Sometimes Chris found himself not able to take his eyes off from her emerald ones, they were mesmerizing.  
  
With Jamie not able to recall things from her own past they often talked about Chris'. Jamie was always filled with questions.  
  
"So do you have a family?"  
  
"My parents died when I was younger. It was just me and my sister for a long time. We grew up living from one foster home to the next. When I was eighteen I joined the air force. I wrote to Claire everyday. Eventually Claire turned eighteen herself, she went to college."  
  
"You two must be close."  
  
"Well when it's just the two of you that tends to happen. I just couldn't imagine my life without her. She's not just my sister; she's my mother, my best friend."  
  
"God I wish I could remember my family!" Jamie suddenly cried. "If I even had one."  
  
Her sad outburst caught Chris off-guard. He didn't expect by talking about his sister would have that effect on her, although he should have.  
  
"You'll see them again." Chris reassured her. "I bet there missing you."  
  
"Chris I just don't know. A year gone by and nothing has changed. New people came and went, but us five.nothing ever changes. What if." Jamie takes a deep breathe, her thought seeming almost too hard to bear. "What if we stay here for the rest of our lives?"  
  
Chris looks at Jamie, right into her sparkling emerald eyes.  
  
"I promise you Jamie that no matter what you guys will escape from here."  
  
"But"- Jamie tried to protest, but Chris wouldn't let her.  
  
"There's nothing to argue about." He told her. "I promise that you won't spend rest of your life here. I swear that I won't let that happen."  
  
He watches as Jamie's eyes drift off into the dreary room.  
  
'God I hope your right Chris."  
  
From that point Chris was determined. He had seen enough of Umbrella's evil to last him a life time and beyond. There was no way he was going to let these people, these five incredible people fall any further into Umbrella's cruelties. They weren't going to become come soulless ghouls. Although Chris never dared say this to any of them he made an oath to himself that he never let it happen. Chris was prepared to give his last breathe to making sure he kept that oath. 


	3. Clouds Don't Have to be Grey

CHAPTER 3  
  
Clouds Don't Have to be Grey  
  
-3 months later-  
  
Despair, emptiness, a void. These were the things that had swarmed  
Jill's very being since that day at the facility.  
  
Jill longed to see Chris, just to be in his presence, and maybe just  
maybe to feel something more.  
  
Everyone had been working nonstop to find the whereabouts of Chris; so  
far none of them even had a clue.  
  
For Jill the separation was far worse then when Chris was in Europe,  
and she had stayed behind. Then there was hope, Jill knew he was out  
there somewhere it was only a matter of time before they found him.  
Now.now Jill wasn't sure of anything. And that was the scariest  
feeling in the world.  
  
One night all was quiet in Jill and the others little apartment on the  
edge of Paris. Barry sat at their tiny round table playing solitaire  
over and over again; Carlos was sitting in front of the T.V cursing it  
for not speaking any words that he could understand. Jill, herself,  
sat in her room staring out the window. That's all Jill ever did. She  
just watched out the window as people walked by totally absorbed in  
their own lives not one with the slightest clue that somebody was  
watching them. She didn't know why she did this, maybe deep down she  
hoped that one of these days she see Chris walking by.  
  
The only one of them doing something productive was Claire. She was  
constantly on the computer talking to Leon Kennedy.  
  
Jill didn't know Leon, all she did know was that he helped Claire  
escape from Raccoon, and that he had connections with some government  
employees. Claire would never let on too much to Jill what kind of  
employees these people were only that Leon knew them from college.  
  
On this very night, however, Claire let on some light to whom these  
people that Leon knew were up to.  
They all gathered around the small table. Sitting shoulder to shoulder  
Claire told them about the recent developments.  
  
"As you all know I've been in contact with Leon Kennedy. Well Leon has  
been working back in the states digging any information he can to the  
whereabouts of Chris. Nothings has come up.until now."  
  
As Claire pauses Jill's heart starts doing double time. This was the  
first glimmer of hope she felt since Chris' disappearance. Straining  
every muscle in her ear Jill waited for Claire to continue.  
  
"Leon's good friend from college, Adam Skampa, now works for the  
F.B.I. Well it seems like there's been a good number of reports  
leading to the disappearance of several people."  
  
"How are they related?" Barry asked.  
  
In a very distinct voice Claire answered. "They all work for Umbrella.  
The disappearances range from pop machine fillers to Umbrella  
scientist themselves; there's even been one disappearance from within  
the F.B.I. someone who was investigating the disappearances."  
  
"Why isn't anyone doing anything then? The F.B.I must surely have  
enough evidence to do a thorough investigation on Umbrella with all  
those disappearances?"  
  
"Here's the thing, it's too hard to prove the disappearances are  
related. Umbrella, like always, did a good job of working out the  
details, and Umbrella is just too large of a company to make  
allegations without any solid evidence."  
  
Carlos threw his arms. "Well if that ain't the story of our lives."  
  
Speaking for the first time Jill asked. "What's any of this have to do  
with Chris?"  
  
Frowning Claire answers. "Nothing.well at least nothing yet. Leon  
thinks that if Umbrella is holding people then they probably bring  
Chris there. Now we just have to find out"-  
  
"Where." Jill finished Claire's sentence.  
  
"Exactly." Claire told her as the group went into dead silence.  
  
They remained in that silence for awhile, no one knowing what to say.  
All words just seemed like a lost cause at this point.  
  
It wasn't until later when the familiar pop-up noise and the words  
'you got mail' came from the computer that everyone started talking  
again.  
  
Jill gave Barry an anxious look as Claire went to the computer to  
check her e-mail.  
  
Carlos was tapping his fingers on the table annoyingly when Claire's  
voice sang across the room.  
  
"Guys," She said "I think Leon's found a clue."  
  
* * *  
  
An on- going war, one that could lead to the most tragic consequences that this world has ever seen. Biological, living, breathing, lethal weapons are being created, and only a handful of the general public know about it.  
  
For Leon S. Kennedy this alone was enough for him to wage a war against Umbrella. However, this wasn't Leon's main reason for going against the bastard pharmaceutical company; it was actually only a small part of it.  
  
When Leon was in Raccoon he met Claire Redfield and Sherry Birkin, two people who had suddenly become a major part of his life. Those two, however, weren't the only two people Leon met while in Raccoon, there was one other. One that Leon was just not able to forget.Ada Wong.  
  
Its funny how one chance meeting, one twist of fate can bring people together. Unfortunately in his and Ada's case their fated meeting was under dire circumstances.  
  
After Ada's death, and Leon, Claire and Sherry last second escape Leon did some heavy investigating into the mysterious woman's life.  
  
Leon found that Ada Wong wasn't really Ada's name at all. It was actually Jessica Wakuci, an employee for Umbrella. He also discovered that Ada, or Jessica, had done a lot of work for some of the worlds most elite underground organizations. She was wanted by the F.B.I and the C.I.A. Despite all this Leon couldn't stop thinking about her.well, at least until he started hearing from Claire again.  
  
Upon escaping from Raccoon the first thing that Claire and he did was get Sherry safely to her aunts. Once they knew she was safe they started searching for Claire's brother.  
  
Leon had called upon his college roommate, and now F.B.I agent Adam Skampa to help their search. Together the three had discovered the whereabouts of Umbrella's Paris headquarters. Leon wishes they hadn't. The next morning he wakes up to a note on his bed stand reading.  
  
Gone to Paris, I'll be in contact.  
Always,  
Claire  
  
It was over ten whole days before Leon heard anything from Claire. She was somehow at Rockford Prison, and had run into some trouble.  
  
As Leon was preparing to go rescue her Adam broke into Claire's e- mail. There sent only a day before was a message from Chris, Claire's brother. Leon e-mailed Chris back telling him Claire's situation. Chris insisted that he go rescue her, and after some debating Chris ended up going after Claire alone.  
  
Leon hadn't heard from either of them again until just two months ago.  
  
Chris, it seemed, had once again had gone missing, and Claire contacted him asking once again for help. He was just so relieved to hear that Claire was okay that he eagerly enlisted his help. And so since then Leon's been pulling in all his recourses to once again find Claire's brother.  
  
It wasn't until recently that Leon got any real information at all. Adam, Leon's F.B.I friend, from college had dug up a small facility owned by Umbrella located in the southern part of Iowa. It was too small to be doing any experiments, but just the right size to hold a small group of people. It was a long shot, but it was worth checking out, so he e-mailed Claire.  
  
Now Leon had a midnight flight to Iowa where he was to wait for Claire, and her group to arrive.  
  
That night as he was packing Adam was over. Leon was just shoving several pairs of socks into one of his side pockets of his traveling bag when Adam asked.  
  
"Why are you doing this man?"  
  
"Doing what?"  
  
"Going so out of your way for this girl? I mean Raccoons over; you've already helped her find her brother once, isn't that enough?"  
  
"There's more to it then that. Umbrella is a dangerous company, a company that's the entire world's enemy. Wouldn't you, a F.B.I agent, of all people want to try to stop them?"  
  
"Okay I understand that part, but what's it got to do with helping Claire Redfield find her brother?"  
  
Leon didn't answer.  
  
"Don't tell me it's another one of those 'about the girl' things. Jesus Kennedy you fall faster then anybody I know."  
  
"Would you shut-up Adam!" Leon snapped.  
  
"Fine. Fine I'll stay quiet if you tell me this. What about that girl Ada, the one you can't stop thinking about? How does she fit into all this?"  
  
Leon didn't know what to say to that. Ada was dead, at least as far as Leon knew. Anyways as hard as it was to get Ada out of his head that fact remained that Ada Wong was a double agent that used Leon. Claire never did any of that.  
  
"This isn't about Ada." Leon finally answered. "This is about helping a friend that needs me. There's nothing more to it then that."  
  
"But"-  
  
"Come on." Leon ordered before Adam could get any further. "I have a plane to catch."  
  
The two of them drove in silence, not saying a word until Adam parked the car at the airport. They sat there for a moment still not saying anything. It wasn't until Leon started getting out of the car that Adam finally said something.  
  
"Listen man the only reason I give you a hard time is I don't want to see you hurt. I just want to see you come back in one piece. Physically and emotionally."  
  
Leon grins and pats his friend on the shoulder. "Thanks bud I know your hearts coming from the right place, there's just things that sometimes you have to do."  
  
The two men hug in a stiff way that only man can. Leon then grabs his bag from out of the trunk, and with one last wave to Adam he leaves the airport.  
  
Leon didn't know what he was getting into, he usually never did, but this was one of those things that he knew he had to see through to the end.  
  
With that thought in mind he boarded his plane to Iowa.  
  
* * *  
  
It had been awhile since the last time Claire had seen Leon. It had been since that night before she left for Paris, with leaving him nothing more then a note.  
  
Claire never wanted to leave Leon like that, but she also didn't want him to put his life in danger for her. All she wanted was for him to help her gather some information, not for him to help her find Chris.  
  
Now Claire was on the plane, she couldn't help the different emotions that were running through her. So much had happened since Raccoon, she had lost her brother twice, and she really lost Steve. The only two things that she had actually found were Sherry and Leon.  
  
Claire wasn't sure of the feelings she had for Leon. All she knew was part of her wanted him to stay home where it was safe, and another part of her wanted him to come with Claire in her search for Chris.  
  
Either way Leon was in Iowa waiting for her.  
  
Claire and the others arrived at the Iowa airport around noon. As they were coming out of the terminal 'he' stood there. His wavy blond hair lying messily on his head, his baby blue eyes glowing, even from the distance.  
  
Without even knowing what her feet were doing Claire broke out in a run. She didn't stop until she came face to face with Leon.  
  
The two smiled awkwardly at each other.  
  
"Hey there." Leon said smiling stupidly.  
  
"How's it going?" Claire replied.  
  
"Oh you know." Leon said offhandedly.  
  
Just when things couldn't get anymore awkward Jill, Barry and Carlos walk up to them.  
  
"So this is the boy toy Claire?" Barry asked in his father like tone. Claire could have shot him.  
  
"Barry," Claire said in the most composed voice she could muster. "This is Leon Kennedy," Claire turns to Leon. "Leon these people are Barry Burton, Carlos Oliveria, and Jill Valentine."  
  
Leon lifts his hands, and gave a slight wave.  
  
After another few awkward moments Leon rubs his hands together,  
  
"Well do you guys want to get going? I already have a few hotel rooms, and then bright and early tomorrow we set out.  
  
"Set out where?" Jill asked skeptically.  
  
"To find Chris."  
  
* * *  
  
Time has a funny way of going by. When you really thought about it Chris was in the worst of circumstances, trapped in one damn room, given little food and water, and there was never anything to do. Chris, however, wouldn't let himself get into that psyche. It would be the end of him if he did. Instead Chris tried to take out all the negative and just focus on the positive, as few things as that may be.  
  
Chris grew to care for his five inmates very much, especially Luke and Jamie. The others Chris liked a lot, but Luke and Jamie seemed to draw Chris to them. Luke reminded Chris of himself, at times Luke would get angry at the world for anything, and everything. Chris remembered feeling the same exact way when he first ran into the horrors that Umbrella bestowed upon him. Now Chris didn't see it as if the world was against him, he saw that the world was a victim too, and he was only one of a few that could actually put a stop to Umbrella. Once he stopped feeling angry, and instead felt like he had a responsibility everything changed. And that change made all the difference.  
  
The one thing that was killing him was how much he was missing the others. His sister, Barry.Jill, he missed them all terribly, he even missed Carlos even if only a little bit.  
  
To avoid the pain Chris would try not to think about them, but that seemed to make things worse, because then they weren't in his life at all.  
  
The only person who he talked to about them was Jamie. Jamie had become his confidant, he appreciated her greatly. Chris hoped she realized that.  
  
Chris recalled the last conversation he had with her. It was closes he come to falling apart.  
  
"What are you thinking about?" Jamie asked him one day as he lay dreamingly on his bed staring at the ceiling.  
  
"Oh nothing." Chris lied.  
  
"I know you better then that Chris." Jamie told him. "Now come on."  
  
Chris gave a half-hearted smile, and then in a teasing voice replied. "Has anyone every told you that you can be a pest?"  
  
Jamie frowns. "If they have I can't remember.  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't mean"-  
  
"It's alright Chris it's been so long that even I forget that I had a life before this."  
  
"Jamie when I promised that I help all of you guys escape from here I meant it."  
  
Jamie smiles sweetly at him. "I know you did."  
  
The two grew quiet for awhile before Jamie repeats the question she asked before.  
  
"So what were you thinking about before?"  
  
"Just about my friends. There probably searching the world for me. I'm worried about them, and what they actually might do to find me."  
  
"You miss them terribly don't you?"  
  
"It's amazing how much you care for someone. I mean Claire goes without saying, she's my sister, but Barry.and Jill."  
  
Chris turns his face into his pillow; the thoughts of his loved one's were just too much to bear.  
  
Chris felt Jamie take his hand, and in a caring yet determined voice she says too him. "You'll see them again Chris that's my promise to you."  
  
When Chris turned away from his pillow to look at her Jamie bent down placing a gentle kiss on his forehead then without a word walked away.  
  
He lay in his bed a long time after that thinking about this and that. Pretty much just thinking about everything.  
  
Chris ached to see the others again, but considering the circumstances Chris had to admit he was pretty content here. So Umbrella could just kiss his ass because it was going to take more then a damp room to bring Chris Redfield down, they could count on that. 


	4. A Promise Fulfilled

CHAPTER 4  
  
A Promise Fulfilled  
  
The morning couldn't have started out earlier for Claire. She laid awake for most of that night worried about the hundred things that could go wrong.  
  
It was awful only worrying about the negative things, and completely neglecting the positive. This was, however, just another hurtle that Claire had to jump in their battle against Umbrella. In the grand scheme of things Claire was willing to make the sacrifice.  
  
Later that night Claire discovered she wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep. As she sat up on her bed staring intently on nothing there was a soft knock on her hotel room door.  
  
Thinking that it be Leon Claire ran hastily to the door. It came as a surprise when she opened the door and Leon wasn't there, but instead Jill.  
  
"Jill, what are you doing here?" Claire asked startled.  
  
Jill's expression remained dry as she answered. "I couldn't sleep."  
  
Jill followed Claire into her room, and the two of them collapsed onto Claire's bed. The two women didn't say anything for a long time.  
  
It was odd, Claire had know Jill for a few months now, they had been through a lot together, but she still felt like she barely knew Jill at all. They never talked just the two of them, Jill usual just kept to herself. Whenever they were alone in the same room it was always terribly awkward, right now being another perfect example.  
  
"Shit night isn't it?" Claire asked Jill trying to break the tension that had built up between them.  
  
Before she knew what happened Jill had broken down. Gentle tears were rolling down her cheeks, and quiet sniffles had absorbed her body. Claire instinctively wrapped her arms around the older woman.  
  
"It's alright Jill we'll find him, I know we will."  
  
"Cl.Claire I.I miss him so much." Jill said through sniffles.  
  
"I know you do, I do too."  
  
"I.I love him Claire." Jill told her as she wiped away the tears from her face.  
  
It was weird hearing Jill say those three precious words. Claire always thought that Jill maybe felt them, but to hear her actually say it.it made Claire feel wonderful knowing that somewhere out there was someone who loved her brother as much as she did.  
  
"We'll find him Jill." Was all that Claire said. She felt as if that's all she needed to say. They WERE going to find him. There was nothing else to it.  
  
The next day finally came, and everyone was more then ready, 9mm where in hoisters, combat knives were all strapped to thighs, all was planned and set. Everyone was ready to rescue Chris.  
  
As they were loading into their van Jill came up to Claire, and gave her hand an affectionate squeeze.  
  
"Let's go get him." She said to her. The words coming from Jill was everything Claire needed. They smiled at each other then climbed into the van. They were going to rescue a man that they both loved.  
  
* * *  
  
"Chris, remind me when we get out of this hell whole to kill you!"  
Threatened Derek, as he got up from the floor.  
  
Chris had snuck a dead rat into Derek's bed, and needless to say Derek  
wasn't pleased. The rest of the groups, however, were on their knees  
rolling in laughter.  
  
Life wasn't easy in this god forsaken room, but it defiantly had its  
lighter moments.  
  
Once everyone was settled and Derek's temper had calmed down, the  
group formed a circle in the middle of the room.  
  
For awhile now they had made it a daily ritual to sit in a circle once  
a day, and hold hands. From there everyone would think about their  
happiest thought that they could conjecture in their mind. Chris didn't  
know why, but whenever they finished their little meditation session he  
always felt so much better. It cleansed the pessimism from his soul. It  
all might have sounded like a bunch of crap, but everyone in that room  
would swear to god that it worked.  
  
They were in one if their mediation sessions. Chris was thinking about  
the times when he and Claire would play Frisbee in the park when Derek,  
who was sitting next to Chris, from out of the dead silence, asked.  
  
"Is anyone else thinking about deep dish pizza right now?"  
  
"Yeah, with naked woman on top of it," Luke added.  
  
Chris opened his eyes to see Mick chuckling, Jamie and Cindy rolling  
their eyes, and Derek just rolling in laughter.  
  
Chris joined in the laugh then got up from the floor. It seemed  
mediation time was over. He stepped over the still laughing Derek, and  
moved to the farthest bed.  
  
He had only been laying there for a few moments when Jamie had come  
over and joined him.  
  
"You think that's funny too?" She teased.  
  
"Well you got to give the guy a break. It's probably been a couple of  
years since he's seen one."  
  
Jamie gives Chris a look before collapsing next to him on the bed.  
They laid there for awhile not saying anything. After awhile Jamie turned  
around so she was facing him and asked.  
  
"What do you think about when we meditate like that?"  
  
"I think about my past, you know before Umbrella came into it." He  
said wishfully. "I think about me and my sister, and all my friends from  
the air force, and S.T.A.R.S." After a deep sigh Chris asked her. "How  
about you Jamie? What do you think about?"  
  
To his surprise Jamie starts to blush. Her cheeks had turned a light  
shade of pink.  
  
"Come on," Chris persisted. "It can't be bad if it makes you happy."  
  
"How about if it's something embarrassing?"  
  
Chris smiles at her. "It's just you and me, what can be so  
embarrassing when it's just us?"  
  
Jamie takes a deep breathe her whole body appearing nervous. "Well  
that's kind of it Chris, it's about us."  
  
Not taking his eyes off from her Chris listens intently.  
"This place was truly miserable, you couldn't find one thing that you  
could actually consider living for. Then one unexpected day Chris you  
came into our lives. Suddenly everything is different, everyone here  
seemed to have a different out look and me.well I.I couldn't imagine my  
life without you Chris. You're what makes me happy."  
  
Her eyes were glowing with radiance, and something else, something  
that Chris couldn't exactly pinpoint, but whatever it was Chris couldn't  
take his eyes off of her.  
  
Things from there started happening so fast. Jamie started to lean to  
towards him Chris didn't know what to do. He just laid there as Jamie's  
lips connected with his own. She was kissing him, and even more  
surprising was Chris was kissing her back. Their kisses started to become  
more passionate. Chris had rolled over so he was leaning into her. There  
was so much heat between them, so much raw passion. Chris couldn't  
imagine a better feeling, but then it suddenly hit him. It was like he  
had been punched in the face as that one solitary thought had come to  
him.Jill.  
  
Chris suddenly pulled away from Jamie; she looked startled by his  
sudden movement.  
  
"What.what is it?" She asked.  
  
"I'm so sorry Jamie I just.I just can't."  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"It wouldn't be fair, not to you.not to Jill?"  
  
"Oh, Jill." Jamie sounded like she had been hit by a truck as she said  
those two words.  
  
"Jamie, it's so not you." Chris said taking her hand. "God, it's not  
you, you're amazing. It's just.just"-  
  
"You love her don't you?" Jamie said finishing his sentence.  
  
"I do. After all our time apart, and all the obstacles that are  
standing in our way I can't stop feeling what I feel for her."  
  
Jamie nods understandingly; she starts to get up when Chris grabs her  
arm.  
  
"Jamie, please I didn't"-  
  
"Chris," she said before he got any further. "You feel what you feel  
there's nothing more to it. All I can say is that this Jill is one  
unbelievably lucky girl."  
  
They continue to look at each other intensely when the gate to their  
room started to raise open. The six of the them gave each other  
apprehensive looks. The gate only opened twice a day to give them their  
food and water, and a bucket to go to the bathroom in. The gate shouldn't  
have been opening for another few hours, something was defiantly up.  
  
When the gate was all the way open people in black started to swarm  
into their room like a bandit out of hell. Within the dozen people in  
black there was one who stood out. It was a man still in black, but  
something about him made him stand out from the rest. A kind of authority  
or command seemed to glow from him.  
  
His authority immediately began to show as he barked out orders at the  
rest.  
  
"Take the two young males, and leave the rest."  
  
Chris could feel Jamie's body immediately tense beside him. "They  
can't take you." She whispered desperately to him.  
  
"They won't." Chris whispered back as he stood up from the bed.  
  
The people in black broke out into two groups' one setting out for  
Luke, the other for himself. Chris stood there ready as they came towards  
him.  
  
The first two Chris immediately brought down to the floor, but the  
next caught on that Chris could defend himself and took out their assault  
rifles.  
  
Chris raised his hands in defeat. Jamie, however, wouldn't have any of  
that. She ran to him wrapping her arms around him protectively.  
  
"You're not leaving!" She cried.  
  
"It will be alright." He told her trying to sound convincing, but it  
was hard when he wasn't even convinced himself.  
  
"No, no you're staying here."  
  
Chris grabs Jamie by the shoulders, and says to her. "You're going to  
get out of here. I'm going to come back to keep my promise."  
  
Jamie nodded, although not entirely convinced. Chris kissed her on the  
forehead then looked at the others. Luke was already in custody, Cindy  
had tears rolling down her eyes, Mick stood there straight as he possible  
could almost as it he was saluting them, and Derek was being held back by  
the others in black.  
  
Chris gave an encouraging nod to all of them before letting the men  
hand cuff him. As he was being taken away he threw one last look at  
Jamie. It was hard as hell seeing her glowing emerald eyes so dim and  
hopeless. All he could do was promise himself that this wasn't the end.  
  
With that Chris followed Luke out of the damp, poorly lit, large room  
that had been home, and out to the once again unknown.  
  
* * *  
  
It was such a dumpy, poorly built building that Jill had to wonder how  
it was actually holding together.  
  
Slowly the five of them crawled towards the building making sure they  
stayed as low as possible. As they became closer and closer to the  
building Jill couldn't stop the insane beating that her heart was doing  
inside her chest. Chris could be only a few yards away; the thought was  
very powerful, it defiantly made Jill crawl faster.  
  
When they approached the building they took extreme care to stay away  
from the windows. When they had all corners surrounded Leon was the one  
to look carefully into the building.  
  
"Two with assault rifles," Leon whispered to her.  
  
Jill nodded they could handle that, especially with the element of  
surprise on their side.  
  
Leon and Claire snuck over to the door while rest of them covered the  
windows. As they had planned back at the hotel everyone waited until the  
count of three, and then all at once stormed into the little rundown  
building.  
  
The guards were completely taken off guard; Leon and Claire were able  
to take their weapons easily. Carlos and Barry tied the guards up while  
Jill ran past the first room and into the second.  
  
What Jill ended up finding past those doors wasn't quite what she was  
looking for, but it was defiantly something.  
  
Four solemn faced people sat on one bed. There were three middle age  
people, two male and one female. The last person was a young woman, her  
eyes were red and tears covered her cheeks.  
  
Jill walked over to the four and gentle asked.  
  
"What happened here?"  
The young woman sobbed out an answer. "They.they took him."  
  
"Took who?" Jill asked, afraid of the answer that in her heart she  
already knew.  
  
"They took Chris!" She wailed once again convulsing in a fit of tears.  
  
Everyone else had now joined Jill in standing around these four  
strangers. They all listened intently as the four relayed their story.  
Jill wasn't able to keep her attention on them until Chris' name came up.  
  
Chris had stayed with them in the very room Jill was standing in now  
for seven months, but less then twenty-four hours ago Chris along with  
another man named Luke were taken by men in black. Jill had missed him by  
one bloody day; the irony of it really kicked her in the ass.  
  
The four hostages besides looking stunned and lost also looked pale  
and malnutrition. As Leon was making a call for a helicopter to come pick  
them up Jill walked over to an empty bed in the corner of the room.  
  
She was lost in her own thoughts when she felt a body sit down next to  
her on the bed. It was the younger woman, her tears had dried, but the  
lost look in her eyes remained.  
  
With a dry expression the woman said to her. "You're Jill aren't you?"  
  
Jill gave the woman and odd look, the woman in returned explained.  
  
"Chris.he.that's all he thought about, you that is. He would go quiet  
for long periods of time, and when you looked at him you just knew that  
something or someone important was on his mind. It didn't take me long to  
realize that someone was you."  
  
Jill sat there her own tears now coming down her face. The woman  
looked at her sympathetically. Jill would have been jealous knowing that  
Chris had spent so much time alone with this woman, she was utterly  
beautiful, but something retrained her from that feeling. It was the  
sincerity in her voice.  
  
"He loves you.truly and deeply. You're one incredibly lucky woman."  
  
He.he loved her? Jill could have choked on the happiness and desire  
that had suddenly filled her heart.  
  
The two women grew quiet each devolving into their own thoughts. It  
wasn't until they were getting ready to leave for the helicopter that the  
woman said anything again.  
  
"Will you promise me something?"  
  
Jill nodded hoping that she could.  
  
"Will you promise me you'll find him?"  
  
Jill gave the woman's hand a squeeze, and then added another nod  
before telling her. "I'll spend my remaining breathe doing so."  
  
With that said the two left the old dingy building and boarded the  
helicopter.  
  
* * *  
  
Once Chris and Luke were taken away they were roughly shoved into a  
large jet black van. Luke was practically on top of Chris as they huddled  
in the corner of the van, along with about a dozen strangers all dressed  
in black.  
  
Chris could feel Luke's body tense harder and harder the further they  
drove. He was scared, and Chris didn't blame him, because he was scared  
out of his freaking wits.  
  
The ride was long and extremely unnerving. Chris hated how he no  
longer had any control over his life; he swore for the thousandth time  
that Umbrella would pay.  
  
After hours of driving Luke finally came out of his silence that had  
engulfed him the moment that those damn people in black invaded their  
room.  
  
In a voice that was barely a whisper Luke asked him.  
  
"Where do you think there taking us?"  
  
Chris wanted to lie. He wanted to tell Luke that they were probably  
just being taken to a place like they were in before, but he couldn't.  
Despite how easy it would have been just to say something comforting  
Chris wasn't going to do that to Luke. The best weapon he could give him  
at the moment was preparing him for the worst. So after a deep breathe  
Chris answered.  
  
"No where good."  
  
For the rest of the ride they were silent.  
  
Somewhere along the line they had fallen asleep. His dreams were  
filled with haunted images of Umbrella's creatures. Thousands upon  
thousands were chasing him down Raccoon's streets. Chris just kept on  
running and running his step never lessoning. As he was running figures  
from out of no where started to join him. The first was Rick, his closest  
friend from the S.T.A.R.S Bravo team; his face was dark and gloomy. In a  
voice that sounded like an echo Rick says to him.  
  
"Keep running Chris, keep running."  
  
Then as fast as lightning Rick was gone, but Chris wasn't alone for  
long. All his friends that he had lost to Umbrella all started to appear  
one by one. Enrique, Forest, Brad, Joseph all suddenly joined him in his  
race to get away from the creatures, and they all were saying the same  
thing.  
  
"Keep running Chris."  
  
Out way in the distance was a figure. Chris thought he recognized the  
figure, but he wasn't sure. With all the energy he had left he sprinted  
towards the figure. It looked like it was Jill, but he couldn't figure  
out why the hell she would be here?  
  
Chris was only a few yards away from her, and was shouting out Jill's  
name when something started to happen. Her body started to go in a  
convulsion and dark wholes started to appear in it. Chris stopped dead in  
his tracks and watched in horror as her body started to contort into a  
monster. He watched as Jill transformed in a tyrant.  
  
Chris awoke with a start from his hellish nightmare, only to realize  
that the nightmare hadn't gone away. The van was now stopped, and there  
were voices that could be heard from the outside of the van.  
  
Suddenly the doors were open and great burst of white light burst into  
the van. Blinded by the light Chris squinted his eyes to see what the  
hell was going on.  
  
He felt hands grab for him and in the midst of the struggle Chris felt  
a sharp prick in his upper right arm, and then darkness.  
  
Lights flickering, bright, bright lights. Chris tried desperately to  
close his eyes, and block them out with darkness, but the effort was  
futile.  
  
Out of the corner of his eyes Chris spotted something that made him  
hurl all over himself. On the bed beside his own laid Luke, but he wasn't  
really Luke anymore. Just parts of Luke laid on that bed as if he had  
exploded or something.  
  
"What the hell did you bastards do to him!?" He yelled to the group of  
people in lab coats just a few feet away.  
  
"The patient's up, Krochy please insert another shot."  
  
Hardly a second had gone by before Chris felt another shot go into his  
arm.  
  
Lights started flickering again, but this time instead of going bright  
things just got dark.  
  
AUTHORS NOTE:  
This is one of my favorite chapters. I think a lot happens, and I  
really enjoyed writing it. I just thought I mention that. Thanks to all  
those who are reading.  
  
Always,  
Leah 


	5. Then There Was Three

CHAPTER 5  
  
Then There Was Three  
  
To be so close yet so far, Jill decided, had to be the worst feeling in the world.  
  
They had discovered where Chris had been kept for the last three months only to arrive there one day after he had been taken away. The irony was overwhelming.  
  
The four prisoners that had been rescued; Jamie, Cindy, Mick and Derek, were brought to a special government facility provided by one of Leon's buddies. There they could gain a sense of who they were again.  
  
Life for everyone else was pretty damn miserable. They decided not to go back to Paris, but to stay in the states instead. Putting all their small funds together they were able to rent out a two bedroom apartment in Seattle for Claire, Leon, Barry, Carlos and herself to share.  
  
Leads about Chris' whereabouts were nonexistent. Leon was pulling in all his resources with no success.  
  
Needless to say things in the tiny apartment were nothing short of horrible. No one even cracked a smile much less then a laugh or chuckle. That's why on the day of Claire's breakdown Jill didn't blame her in the least.  
  
Barry and Carlos were watching television on the small black and white T.V. Leon, in the meanwhile, was on the internet trying to get in contact with some people who may of be of help. Claire and Jill were standing feverishly behind him hoping for anything.  
  
When Leon finally received the e-mail from his source he read it out loud for everyone to hear.  
  
Dear Leon,  
We're sorry, but we've heard nothing about what you e-mailed us about. Trust that we'll keep our eye's open. Always, Charlie and Dan As soon as the last words escaped from Leon's mouth is when it happened.  
  
Claire in a mad outrage picked up the monitor for the computer and tossed it out the window.  
  
"Damn thing!" She screamed as everyone stared at her too shocked to move a muscle.  
  
The glass from the window had shattered all over the living room floor. Carlos was the first one to peek out the window to see the damage that had been done. When Carlos' head came back into the room all he said was.  
  
"Damn Chica."  
  
That, however, didn't subside Claire whose temper only flared higher.  
  
"I hate this god damn apartment, I hate doing nothing day in and day out, and I hate this whole god damn world!"  
  
With that said Claire walks only a few feet punches a whole right through the wall, and then storms into her and Jill's room.  
  
Everyone looked at each other no one having a clue to what to say or do. Jill thought it was safe to say that everyone was feeling the way Claire was, god knew that she herself was, it just only had been Claire who decided to thrust out from her frustration.  
  
After awhile Leon finally got up from the computer, he tells everyone that he's going to check on Claire, when Leon left Jill joined Barry and Carlos on the couch.  
  
It was silent between the three of them until Barry got up from the couch.  
  
"I think I'm going to go for a nice walk." He told them.  
  
Once he had grabbed his jacket Barry was gone, and it was now just her and Carlos."  
  
There was a history between them Jill would admit that. What that history was she wasn't quite sure, but all she knew was right at that moment she was feeling pretty uncomfortable.  
  
After several moments of awkwardness Carlos made an attempt to comfort her.  
  
"We'll find him Jill." He told her his accent heavy.  
  
Jill in return gives him an incredulous laugh before planting her face in her hands. Seconds later she could feel Carlos' arm creep around her shoulders. Jill turns her head away from her hands and looks up at Carlos.  
  
"You know I'm here for you right Jill?"  
  
"Thank you Carlos." Was all Jill said, she wasn't of what else she should say.  
  
With his arm still around her Carlos' body inches closer to her own. When there was no space between them Carlos whispers into her ear.  
  
"You know Jill I've always been here for you."  
  
Jill looks into Carlos dark soulful eyes. At that moment she knew she was in trouble.  
  
"Jill, for so long I've wanted to hold you, to feel your breathe on my skin, to feel your skin upon my own. I.I know this probably isn't the best time to be telling you all this, but then really when is the best time? With the way our lives are you never know what's going to happen next, and I wanted to tell you before it was too late.I love you Jill."  
  
This wasn't what Jill needed. All she could do was stare at Carlos' intense figure; her own body was frozen solid.  
  
"Carlos.Carlos.Carlos."  
  
She just couldn't get past his name. She was completely lost for words.  
  
"Jill, I know our situation is complicated, especially for you, but if it at all feels right to you don't you think we should go for it?"  
  
The problem was that it didn't feel right, at least not with Carlos. Before she had the chance to say this Carlos already started to make his move.  
  
Catching Jill off guard he leaned in and kissed her full on. Jill would give Carlos this, he was an extremely good kisser, but it just didn't feel right. Immediately Jill pulled away. Carlos stared at her hurt and confused.  
  
"Carlos, I'm sorry, but I couldn't.I couldn't do what my heart doesn't agree with."  
  
"What 'does' your heart agree with then?"  
  
"I think you know that."  
  
"Hmf.Chris right?" Carlos said bitterly.  
  
"Carlos, please don't be like that."  
  
Carlos moves away from her on the couch. "Sure whatever you want Jill."  
  
At that moment Jill heard Barry come back from his walk. With a dismayed expression on his face Barry says to them.  
  
"Would one of you guys get Claire and Leon? We all need to talk."  
  
* * *  
  
Leon wished more then anything that he could find Chris, and bring him  
to the people that loved him the most. He would love to make Claire  
happy, but he couldn't and that was killing him.  
  
When Claire broke down Leon held himself entirely responsible. Claire  
was counting on him and what could he do? Find false or after the fact  
leads that's what.  
  
As soon as Claire retired to her room Leon debated rather or not he  
should follow her. She probably wanted to be alone, but was that what she  
needed? In the end Leon went with what he needed, and that was helping  
Claire.  
  
Leon gently knocked on her door, Claire responded by calling from in  
the room.  
  
"Who is it?"  
  
"Leon," he answered. "Can I come in?"  
  
When Claire didn't answer Leon took her silence as a yes, and  
proceeded through the door.  
  
Claire was laying face down on her bed, her face buried in her pillow.  
  
Slowly Leon walked over to the bed. He knelt down to Claire's  
sniffling figure. He didn't say a word he just knelt there never taking  
his eyes off of Claire.  
  
Eventually Claire arose from the bed her eyes immediately locked on  
with his own.  
  
"Claire, I am so sorry."  
Leon didn't know why he said those words. 'Sorry' never fixed  
anything. It was just a filler word that people used when there was  
nothing else.  
  
Claire, however, took the word for what it was worth. She gave Leon a  
small smile and whispered the words.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
After that Leon crawled onto the bed with Claire, who laid against  
him. They stayed like that until Jill entered the room.  
  
She gave them an analyzing look before saying to them.  
  
"Barry wants to have a meeting."  
  
"Now?" Claire asked.  
  
Jill nodded before walking away. After a heavy sigh Claire got up from  
leaning against his chest, and gave him a hand in helping him up from the  
bed. Not a word was exchange between them as they left the room.  
  
The mood as they entered the kitchen was defiantly an off one. Jill,  
Barry, and Carlos were already sitting around the table, all three of  
them waiting impatiently for Claire and himself.  
  
Leon took a seat between Jill and Carlos, while Claire sat between  
Carlos and Barry. Once they were all seated the meeting began.  
  
"Guys," Barry addressed them. "We've been at this for a long time now,  
and as much as I hate to say it were just not getting anywhere."  
  
"What are you getting at Barry?" Jill asked skeptically.  
  
"I'm going home Jill."  
  
"What!?" Claire and Jill shouted as the same time.  
  
"I miss my family; I haven't seen them in ages. You know I want to  
find Chris, but surely you understand my need to see my wife and kids?"  
  
Everyone was silent. Barry had a family, with all that was going on  
Leon sometimes forgot that. There were people waiting for him, the rest  
of the group didn't have that.  
  
In the end it was Claire who spoke up.  
  
"You go to your family Barry."  
  
"I'll be coming back." Barry told her.  
  
"You'll do what's right in the end," Claire told him. "For now you  
just go to them."  
  
Barry nodded at Claire then turned to Jill.  
  
"Barry if you don't leave here I'm going to throw you out of this damn  
apartment," Jill told him with a smile.  
  
Barry grins stupidly at everyone. "I better go pack."  
  
When Barry was packing Leon, Claire and Jill waited on the couch,  
Carlos was off doing his own thing. It wasn't long before Barry was  
packed and ready to go. Everyone gathered at the door to say their  
goodbyes.  
  
"Say hi to Kathy and the kids." Jill said giving Barry a kiss on the  
cheek.  
  
"Yeah, give them all extra hugs and kisses for me." Claire chimed in  
wrapping Barry in a great big bear hug.  
  
Barry next turns to him. "You take care of these ladies for me, okay  
Kennedy?"  
  
"Yes sir," Leon told him. The two shake hands, Barry then looks  
around.  
  
"Where's Carlos?"  
  
Out from the guys room came Carlos with a duffle bag in hand.  
  
"I'm right behind you big guy."  
  
"What are you doing Carlos?" Jill asked.  
  
"I'm going to head too. I've been out of the loop for much too long."  
  
"But." Was all Jill said before going silent.  
  
"When will you be coming back?" Claire asked.  
  
"We'll see Chica," was Carlos' response.  
  
After another round of goodbyes both Barry and Carlos left. As soon as  
the door shut Claire, Jill and Leon all looked at each other.  
  
With a cynical laugh Leon said to them. "And then there were three."  
  
* * *  
  
Chris awoke with a startling headache. He found himself lying on a  
thin board that was positioned in the middle of what looked like a large  
lab.  
  
Confusion swept over him which only made his migraine worse. What the  
hell was he doing here? What in gods name is going on.then it hit him.  
  
The incident at the large room, Luke and him being taken away.Luke!  
Chris suddenly remembered the horrifying sight of his friend's body.  
  
"Luke!!!" Chris cried our in anguish.  
  
From the far corner of the room Chris heard a familiar snarl.  
  
"Your comrade has come and gone Redfield."  
  
"Wesker!" Chris shouted angrily. In a fit of rage Chris jumped up from  
the table, and started storming towards his one time captain.  
  
Chris was only a few feet away from Wesker when the pain started. It  
began in his head like a thousand voices screaming all at once. Slowly it  
continued to crawl down his body until every inch of it was throbbing in  
pain.  
  
"Redfield, normally our little experiments experience little or no  
pain at all, but for a few special lab rats such as yourself," Wesker  
walks up to Chris kneeling down before him, and whispers into his ear.  
"We make sure they go through hell."  
  
Angrily Chris grabs onto Wesker's ankle with all his might. Wesker,  
however, easily kicked Chris' hand away, and then added a kick into his  
stomach to boot.  
  
"Don't you see Redfield; your world is done for. A better, more  
powerful race is going to take over, and when the time comes there will  
be nothing you or your little band of pathetic S.T.A.R.S can do to stop  
it."  
  
"When there's a will there's a way." Chris choked out through his mind  
numbing pain.  
  
Wesker laughs evilly in response. "Well if that's true Redfield 'will'  
you're way through this."  
  
Wesker injects Chris with a shot of another unknown substance. It  
wasn't long before everything went black again.  
  
AUTHORS NOTE:  
Well um.Chris keeps blacking out. I hope I'm not causing him any permanent damage, whatever. Thank you so much to anyone whose reading, and a special thanks to Pinquicha.  
Always,  
Leah 


	6. Despite All

CHAPTER 6  
  
Despite All  
  
"Bud, you haven't cracked a smile all night, here have another drink."  
  
Carlos caught the glass that his friend, Rick Lasbury, had slid down the counter to him.  
  
He had only left Jill and the others two weeks ago, but already the guilt had consumed him. Jealousy and anger had got the better of his righteousness and moral standards. And as much as he tried to forget them they just wouldn't go away.  
  
Carlos had caught up with some old buddies of his from before the whole Umbrella ordeal. They still all worked for Umbrella as mercenaries, none of them knowing Carlos' actions from the previous months, he preferred it that way. It was hard enough to give up his previous way of life; he didn't want to loose all his friends while he was at it.  
  
Still whenever they became really drunk, and all other conversation seemed to be lost, Carlos' disappearance seemed to always come up.  
  
"Man no one performs a vanishing act quite like you do, Carlos my man." Rick teased him then took another slug of beer from his mug.  
  
"Yeah where the hell have you been that took the smile right from you?" His other friend Damian asked.  
  
'Hell,' Carlos thought to himself, but he decided to remain silent.  
  
"You've been working for the C.I.A haven't you?" Rick teased.  
  
"No, no he was taken by Umbrella like those others they been askin us to take." Damian joked to Rick, but Carlos' interest immediately increased by the words.  
  
"So what have you fella's been doin lately?" He asked.  
  
"That I'm afraid, my Hispanic friend, is classified information." Rick slurred.  
  
"Of course it is." Carlos said and immediately purchased another round of drinks for his two friends.  
  
Three rounds later his friends finally spilled.  
  
"Carlos, man," Damian slurred. "They've been running us around the country taking people for god knows why."  
  
"Where do you take them?" Carlos asked trying sound uninterested.  
  
"Usually some place in Nevada." Rick informed him.  
  
"Could you be a little more specific?"  
  
It turned out he could be. It wasn't long before Carlos had the exact location written down on a piece of paper. Once that piece of paper was firmly in his hand Carlos turned to his friends and quickly said to them.  
  
"I gotta go."  
  
Half way across the bar he hears Rick yell at him.  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"I forgot I have to help the CIA with a secret underground mission." He yelled back, and before either of the Umbrella Mercenaries knew it, Carlos was gone.  
  
* * *  
  
Two weeks had come and gone since Barry and Carlos left their lonely  
old apartment, and their search for Chris. Still Claire didn't give up  
hope that one or both of them would return. Call her crazy, but after all  
that Umbrella had done to her Claire still had hope, and she clung to it  
with every fiber of her being.  
  
One day while Jill was busy vegetating in their room Claire and Leon  
finally got a chance to talk about the most innocent Umbrella victim of  
them all. The common link between Leon and herself, they talked one  
special girl named Sherry Birkin.  
  
After their escape from Raccoon she and Leon brought Sherry to the  
safe haven of her aunts, a top prosecutor for the state of California.  
And there she's stayed; away from the craziness, away from the tragedy,  
away from the horror that Umbrella had brought upon them all.  
  
Sherry's parents; William and Annette Birkin were some of the top  
minds in Umbrella's evil schemes. They had died that day in Raccoon, as  
far as Sherry knew more victims of the virus. She didn't know the little  
lies that fed into her parent's death, and Claire attended to keep it  
that way, at least until Sherry was ready for the sorrow that the  
knowledge would bring. Until then Claire had every attention of keeping  
Sherry's life as normal and terror free as possible.  
  
"Yeah, she's just starting middle school," Leon told her, who had been  
in a great deal more contact with the girl then she had. "She says she  
really likes it there, and has made a good number of friends too."  
  
Claire smiled. It brought her an unbelievable amount of joy knowing  
that Sherry was doing well. A joy of such grandeur that it was  
indescribable.  
  
"She said thank you for the card by the way." Leon mentioned off  
handedly.  
  
"I wanted to do more." Claire told him. "But under the current  
circumstances."  
  
"Sherry understands Claire, Sherry understands better then you think."  
  
Claire frowned at that. She was a thirteen year old girl; she  
shouldn't have to understand the complications of an ongoing war with the  
world's most dangerous company. Even in her head the words sounded  
ludicrous.  
  
Leon, who must have been sensing her thoughts, took her hand and said.  
"When all this is over, and Chris is safe and warm in his bed we'll go  
visit Sherry. We'll go visit her together."  
  
Claire nodded wiping a few tears away. 'When all this is over.' 'When'  
always seemed to be the operative word. 'When' we find Chris, 'when' we  
defeat Umbrella, Claire was beginning to hate 'when's', all she wanted  
was now's.  
  
Leon was still holding her hand when someone came barging through  
their apartment door. Leon instinctively grabbed his gun from his hoister  
immediately aiming it at the intruder.  
  
Once the shock wore off Claire immediately realized who it was.  
  
"Carlos, you're back."  
  
Carlos, who seemed to be out of breath was bent over, between deep  
breathes Carlos said to them.  
  
"Guys.I know."  
  
"Know what?" Leon asked while helping Carlos to the nearest chair.  
  
"You know where Chris is," answered Jill, who had suddenly come out of  
her room.  
  
Carlos nodded and eagerly took the cup of water that Claire handed  
him. After a few large sips from the cup Carlos regained his composure  
and told everyone his story.  
  
"So he's in a facility in Nevada?" Jill asked eagerly.  
  
"Yeah I have the exact location right here," Carlos handed Jill a  
napkin with an address and a small map on it.  
  
"My god, this could be where Chris is!" Jill said excitingly.  
  
She starts running around the apartment chaotically while yelling at  
everyone else.  
  
"Come on you guys were leaving in ten minutes," but before she did  
anything else she stops in front of Carlos and gives him a kiss on the  
cheek.  
  
"Thank you so much." She told him sincerely.  
  
Brushing it off Carlos says to her. "Don't mention it," and then  
starts to get ready.  
  
As Jill had demanded everyone was ready within ten minutes. They were  
all just about to leave when another figure came barging through the  
door.  
  
"Barry!" She exclaimed wrapping her arms around her brother's oldest  
friend.  
  
After a cheerful chuckle Barry asked them. "Where you guys off to?"  
  
"We know where Chris is." Jill answered hastily.  
  
"Well then I'm glad I'm already packed. Let's get going already."  
  
"What about your family?" Claire asked him.  
  
"Well I was able to see my family, spend some quality time with them,  
but now it's time to help out my other family."  
  
"But Barry," Claire tried to argue, but Barry wouldn't hear it. In a  
loud voice that faded away Claire's own Barry said to them.  
  
"Are we going to find Chris or not?"  
  
No one answered they just set off, now more determined then ever to  
find her brother.  
  
* * *  
  
Hot, sticky sweat covered every surface of his body. Chris' body was  
shivering all over, but he couldn't figure if it was from being too hot  
or too cold. Chris couldn't tell anything anymore.  
  
He had been locked in the same old cell longer then he could remember  
now. The same small, dingy cell, with nothing more then a rock hard cot  
for company.  
  
For days on end Chris banged against the steel door that imprisoned  
him. He shouted down the endless corridors for help, help which of course  
never came.  
  
It wasn't long after he stopped yelling for futile help that the  
changes started.  
  
Everything began in his head. Voices, thousands of them would all  
start talking at once. Chris couldn't decipher anything that they were  
saying, they were just always there. His thoughts could never stay focus;  
they would always waver from what he wanted to think about, and would  
always arrive at how hungry he was.  
  
Of course his mind wasn't always like that, sometimes he could think  
as clear as day, however, during the worst of times he wished he  
couldn't. Everything became so much more unbearable when he knew what was  
happening, especially so when his body started to change.  
  
Nothing would ever freak him out more then when he first looked down  
at his hands, and discovered that they had transformed.  
  
No longer were they the five fingered, cream colored hands that Chris  
had before taken for granted. They were now claw shaped, and the color of  
a light blue. It was then that Chris knew for certain that something was  
defiantly wrong with him.  
  
From that point it didn't take Chris three guesses to figure out what  
happened to him. Wesker and those bastard scientists had injected him  
with one of the forms of the virus.  
  
Once that realization came everything became simpler, because now he  
knew there was a bottom line that he couldn't escape.  
  
He was as good as dead.  
  
The process was painstakingly slow. Some days were worse then others, but  
slowly yet surely his whole body turned into one of the monsters that he  
and his comrades had fought not so long ago. As for his mind it came and  
went, but one thing was for sure, he was losing his sanity. It came to  
the point where it was only a matter of time before he had none at all.  
  
On one of his better days Chris laid on the cot contemplating what virus  
he was injected with, he had come to the realization that whatever it was  
that was in him had to be special because nothing he had seen before had  
worked this slowly, when the sirens began to go off.  
  
At first Chris didn't know what to make of them; it was a sound he had  
never heard before in his lonely cell. The thought that it may be his  
friends came to him, but it was gone as quickly as it came. Hope now  
eluded him.  
  
It wasn't until several minutes had passed that Chris became extremely  
curious to what was going on.  
  
He moved to the steel door of the cell, and listened carefully for  
anything that might go by. Imagine his surprise when he heard a familiar  
voice calling out his name.  
  
It was soft at first, but within no time it became stronger. It had  
become so strong, in fact, that Chris could no longer deny who it was.  
  
Feverishly he yelled from inside his cell.  
  
"Claire?!"  
  
"Chris, my god Chris is that you?!"  
  
The sound of his sister's voice was a godsend. Joy that he hadn't felt in  
a long time was starting to race all along his body.  
  
"Claire, I'm here, can you here me?"  
  
His sister's footsteps could be heard rushing towards his cell till at  
last he heard her banging against his cell door.  
  
"Are you there Chris?" Claire asked her voice small and shaky.  
  
"I'm here Claire." Chris told her as a flood of warmth washed over him  
just from hearing his sister's voice being so close to him.  
  
"Are you alright? Jesus, we've been looking all over for you. How can we  
get you out of here?"  
  
The questions were fast and plentiful, but there only one thing that  
Chris wanted to know at that moment, one thing that he needed to know.  
  
"Where's Jill, Claire? Is she with you?"  
  
In a saddened voice Claire answered. "No, we split up she's with Barry  
and Carlos, I'm with Leon Kennedy."  
  
Chris didn't say anything, the disappointment was too great. Instead  
Claire resumed the conversation.  
  
"But you'll be with her in a jiff Chris," his sister added quickly. "Once  
Leon and I figure out a way to get you out of here we'll be out of this  
hell whole faster then you can say zombie."  
  
That sounded wonderful, only there was one problem.  
  
"Claire, I can't go with you."  
  
"What?!" Claire shouted at him incredulously.  
  
"Claire, listen they did something to me. I'm not myself it wouldn't be  
safe to let me out of this cell."  
  
"Did.did they inject you with the G or T virus?" Claire asked, Chris  
could tell she was on the verge of tears.  
  
"Neither," he answered. "I think it's another form of the Veronica virus,  
my mind it comes and goes. It really is a mind numbingly slow process."  
  
"Damnit Chris, you're talking about it so lightly."  
  
"I've come to terms with it Claire. I'm.I'm no longer the brother you  
once knew."  
  
"That's not true!" Claire shouted, this time defiantly in tears "Were  
going to get you out of here!"  
  
Just then distant gunshots could be heard; suddenly things had become  
hasty, and Chris was not going to waste anymore time.  
  
"Claire, you've got to get out of here!"  
  
"Not without you Chris!" His sister cried.  
  
"I'm a lost cause Claire. Go while you still can."  
  
Chris could sense his sister desperate hesitation. Luckily enough another  
voice of reason had spoken from out side his cell; Chris assumed it was  
Leon Kennedy's.  
  
"Come on Claire."  
  
"I'm not leaving my brother!"  
  
"You've got to Claire," Chris said firmly, but as if his efforts were  
useless.  
  
"Claire, you've got to live today to fight tomorrow. Chris will hold  
strong, but we have to get out of here so we can find a cure, a cure that  
can save him once and for all."  
  
Although Chris resented being talked about as if he wasn't there it was  
pretty clear that Leon's words were getting through to his sister.  
  
"Your right Leon," Claire said to her friend before turning her voice  
back to him. "Chris I love you, and I promise we'll be back for you in no  
time."  
  
Chris listened as his sister and Leon's footsteps as they ran away,  
suddenly a thought hit him. As loud as he could he yelled out to Claire.  
  
"Claire, please tell Jill that it's okay."  
  
Chris wasn't expecting a response, but in a Claire fashion she defiantly  
gave him one.  
  
"She loves you Chris, and she's fighting for you. We all are."  
  
With that all sounds of Claire and Leon were gone.  
  
Chris stumbled back to his cot. He had talked to his sister again,  
something that just ten minutes ago he dreamed would never happen. Maybe,  
despite everything, there was hope after all.  
  
AUTHORS NOTE:  
I like the thought of hope. It's a nice feeling. I just thought I  
mention it since I weaved it through this whole chapter. Thank you again  
to anyone who's reading this.  
  
Always,  
Leah 


	7. What it Comes Down to

CHAPTER 7  
  
What it Comes Down to  
  
Jill couldn't believe it. After Claire and Leon regressed all that had happened Jill stood there dumbly. They were so damn close, she was so close.  
  
Chris had been in the same building as she had, they probably were only a few yards apart, yet somehow it was a world away.  
  
'Jill, he's been infected,' those were Claire's words to her. Words that effected her greater then some viscous virus ever would.  
  
Chris was another mutant, another subject to Umbrella's sinister plans. He was nothing more then some creature now, but Jill had never felt her heart yearn for him as desperately as it did at that moment.  
  
There was something in her new knowledge that filled Jill with a great sense of relief. He was alive, and no matter what his current condition there had to be a cure. Sherry Birkin had received one not too long ago, she herself had been saved by a vaccine. If anything Jill was now filled with a new hope.  
  
"We have to find a cure." She told her comrade firmly.  
  
"Well you know where we'll have our best chance of getting that don't you?" Barry asked her.  
  
Jill nodded.  
  
"Rebecca."  
  
* * *  
  
Hell, up to just about a year ago Rebecca Chambers thought that hell was only a place that existed once you died. Sure people threw around the term, but honestly in this world Rebecca didn't think there was an actual place- that was until she met Umbrella.  
Just twenty four hours of trying desperately to survive the company's wicked creatures made her realize that whatever hell that was in the after life could never compare to what she experienced that random day.  
  
Rebecca tried to never think back to that day, but she could never hide from her nightmares. Whenever she closed her eyes that day always replayed in her head. The helicopter crash, watching her comrades die, the hideous creatures, Wesker's betrayal, their last desperate escape from the tyrant.Billy.  
  
Billy Coen, she hardly knew him, but not a day passed she didn't think of him. Was he alright? What happened to him? Where was he now? Even if Billy had made it out of the forest where they parted ways alive, what kind of life was he escaping to?  
  
Billy was wrongly accused, sent off by the military to a life he didn't deserve. If Billy had escaped the forest unharmed, where did he go from there? There was no life awaiting him, accept one from behind bars.  
  
She was actually afraid to know what happened to Billy, to know what kind of life he was living. Rebecca prayed that he was alive and well, but as long as he just had air in his lungs Rebecca knew that would be more then wonderful. She knew not to take the little things for granted anymore, and to her just being alive is amazing. She hoped Billy, no matter where he was realized that too.  
  
For Rebecca the past several months were some of the best times in her collective memory.  
  
She went back to college; Rebecca was currently attending the University of Minnesota working on her masters for creative writing. After everything that had happened Rebecca wanted to get as far away from chemistry as possible.  
  
Here in her calm, refreshing, and most importantly normal community at her collage campus Rebecca was able to enjoy the pleasures of adolescents. Something she always missed out on growing up.  
  
She quickly made friends in her dorm, she stayed out late hitting the local bars, and felt not guilty missing her morning classes. College life was so informal, it was whatever goes, and Rebecca loved it.  
  
However, despite how much she enjoyed her current life the feelings of deserting her comrades in pursuit of her own life never stopped eating away at her.  
  
Umbrella was still out there somewhere, and she knew wherever Umbrella was her friends would be there too, risking their lives for the betterment of everyone else in the world. And here she was having the time of her life, with nothing more important to worry about then what she was going to do the next night, and her finals that were coming up in a week.  
Some days the guilt was too much, she would lie in her bed praying that the pain would go away.  
  
Monica, her roommate, would always ask what was wrong, but Rebecca would never in a million years tell her.  
  
Even if she could gather the gumption to relive the nightmare Monica, as much as she cared for her, would think she was crazy. She could hear herself now.  
  
'Monica, just a year ago I worked for a government organization called S.T.A.R.S. On one mission our helicopter crashed, and we forced to defend ourselves against flesh eating zombies.yeah right' Rebecca knew she was good at creative writing, but there was no way she could pull that off.  
  
Honestly what it all came down to was Rebecca was afraid. She was afraid of everything that she did, and afraid of everything she hasn't done because she was too much of a coward to follow her friends. Rebecca tried to rationalize it as much as she could, but in the end she knew that even if she wanted to she probably couldn't go back to that hell that haunted her in that damn mansion.  
  
One evening she was just coming home from a study group that was held in the library. She was walking alone down the quiet pathways of the campus. With the dark always freaking her out Rebecca with every step picked up the pace.  
  
She arrived at her dorm room, and eagerly open the door wanted nothing more then to crawl into bed. As soon as that door was open Rebecca received a sudden jolt that ran from her feet to her heart.  
  
Along with Monica, who was sitting dumbly on her bed, was five other people, two of them who she recognized as Jill Valentine and Barry Burton."  
  
Monica, who had an uncanny knack for pointing out the obvious said to her.  
  
"Beck, I think you have some guest."  
  
Ignoring her roommate's stupid comment Rebecca turned to Jill and asked.  
  
"What in gods name are you doing her?"  
  
Rebecca," Jill addressed her desperately. "We need you help."  
  
Her body went rigid from head to toe. Jill wasn't about to ask her what Rebecca thought she was going to ask her? If she did Rebecca didn't know if she had the strength to say yes, no matter how much they might need her.  
  
"Rebecca, they have Chris."  
"Who does?" She asked Jill stupidly.  
  
"Umbrella, but that's not all of it."  
  
Jill went into their story for the past six months. Rebecca couldn't believe all they had been through since she had left them, another storm of guilt washed through her body.  
  
When Jill was finished she looked at Rebecca.  
  
"Rebecca, we need you, Chris needs you. We know that your hesitant to get back involved in all thus, but please we beg you, I beg of you, will you help us?"  
  
There was no question for Rebecca what her answer was. She knew that they were only asking for a cure now, but when battle time came she might be called into action. Rebecca knew this, but it really didn't matter. Chris' life was in danger that was all she needed to know.  
  
Not answering Jill she turns to Monica.  
  
"Mon, will you be sure to keep a hang on all your notes for me, I'm going to be gone for a little while."  
  
Rebecca could hear the small cheers behind her. Jill was the first to come up to her. The older woman gave her a tight hug and whispered into her ear. 'Thank you.'  
  
Rebecca didn't say anything; she didn't think she needed to be thanked for doing something like saving Chris' life. It should have been something that went without saying.  
  
What it all came down to was it was time for Rebecca to face her nightmares.  
  
* * *  
  
They were moving him again. They did that from time to time, a safety precaution Chris was sure.  
  
Every place was basically the same. Small, dingy cell with the same rock hard cot. Chris' new residence was no exception.  
  
Days, weeks, even months must have gone by, Chris didn't know which one. All he knew was that it felt like forever since that day when Claire was just outside his cell.  
  
Once again hope was dwindling down.  
  
The only thing that shed some light into his dark tortured soul was whenever he thought of Jill.  
  
Her face was sometimes fuzzy in his memory; his mind just wasn't what it used to be. However, the feeling he got whenever he thought of her never went away, it was always there and it was always intense. It was the truest thing that Chris had ever experienced in his life; it was his constant through the worst of times.  
  
One evening, or so he thought, while lying on his stiff cot, something started spinning in his head. Chris was use to this odd activity by now, but this time it was different. It kept getting worse and worse, it was like hundreds of mad circuses deciding to set camp inside his head.  
  
It was out of control, until like a snap of his fingers it was gone. And so was Chris.  
  
He banged his body against his cage, like an ape at a zoo. Again, and again he went as if pain no longer existed.  
  
He kept on going until after one miraculous bang, it was open.  
  
Chris, or his monster form, wasted no time in leaving the damned cell. He ran through the opening and down the corridors of whatever building he was in. He didn't go long without being noticed.  
  
Guards and their assault rifles had surrounded Chris. Chris knew it was over, but yet somehow he didn't. It was like he had no control over anything. The only thing he knew was that he was hungry.  
  
The first group of guards he quickly brushed to the side of them room, the later one's he went after feverishly. With not even bullets stopping his assault Chris pursued on throwing everyone that stood in his way, except for one solitary guard who he raised him above his head and was ready to launch his teeth into him when he felt a powerful blow to his side.  
  
"Well, Mr. Redfield I must say you've gotten much more powerful then I could have imagined."  
  
Wesker, the son-of-a-bitch was standing right in front of him. Chris didn't even think about what he did next.  
  
He rushed at Wesker with more force then he could ever imagine he possessed, but Wesker was quick. He dodged Chris' attack quickly getting behind him, and in one fluid motion kicked Chris to the ground.  
Chris turned back to Wesker and growled.  
  
"Me.me hate.you."  
  
"I'm sure you do Chris," Wesker responded with a chuckle. "The thing that might surprise you is."  
  
Wesker faster then Chris had ever seen anybody move rushed towards Chris thrusting a needle into his side, the demon/man whispered into his ear.  
  
"I hate you more."  
  
When the darkness came this time Chris welcomed it with open arms. 


	8. Efforts Prevailed

CHAPTER 8  
  
Efforts Prevailed  
  
Working with Jill and Barry again was refreshing. It gave her some meaning again, something that to Rebecca seemed worth while.  
  
Jill, and Barry, however, weren't the only two people she was now working with. She now had to work with Claire, Leon, and Carlos, all quite the unique individuals.  
  
Claire Redfield was everything that Chris had talked about. A completely gorgeous girl Rebecca could immediately see the resemblance that she shared with Chris, but the two shared something beyond looks. Whenever she talked with Claire she would sometimes feel like she was talking to Chris. They had the same charisma.  
  
Leon Kennedy was Mr. nice guy. Anyone could easily walk up to Leon and have a conversation with him. Rebecca might have even had a little crush on Leon if it wasn't obvious that he completely adored Claire. Nevertheless, Rebecca enjoyed Leon's company, and was glad that he was part of the team.  
  
Then there was Carlos Oliveria, at first Rebecca was honestly a little put off by the Hispanic man. He came off too strong, but after a couple days she realized that was just his way of being friendly. Carlos could actually be pretty charming, and his devilish good looks didn't hurt anything either. As much as she tried not to Rebecca was a little captured by Carlos', how should she say, suave goofiness.  
  
Under the dire circumstances, however, Rebecca forced herself to put impressions and everything that went with it to the side once they finally arrived at Jill and the other's apartment. Her main and only concern from that point on was finding an antidote for Chris.  
  
Her first step was gathering as much information as she could on the viruses, there wasn't much to go on, but once she had a handle of the subject she was ready for the real work.  
  
What Rebecca needed now was a sample of the virus. When she asked Jill if she would be able to contain any of the viruses she was shocked to hear Jill's answer.  
  
"Sure," she said "just take it from my arm."  
"What are you talking about Jill?"  
  
"When I was trying to escape Raccoon City I was infected with the G- virus. Carlos was able to find an antidote to save my life, but if I'm not mistaken their still should be remains of the virus in my bloodstream."  
  
"You were infected with the G-virus?" Rebecca repeated she could hardly believe it.  
  
"Yeah, it was pretty awful, but here I am. I guess I couldn't ask for more then that-well I'll say that once we get Chris back."  
  
"I'm sorry Jill." Rebecca blurted out. She could no longer take the guilt that was crawling inside her whole body.  
  
"Why are you sorry?"  
  
"I should have stayed, I should have never of left you guys to face the horrors while I was nice and snug in my own bed having the time of my life. Those were luxuries that I didn't deserve. I should have stayed with you guys."  
  
Rebecca was looking down the ground when she felt a hand fall on her shoulder.  
  
"Don't you waste a moment worrying about the 'should of's,' life's too short, we have too much to do to live like that. We 'should' only worry about the things that we can actually do something about. It's not a life if you senselessly worry it away. Trust me on this one."  
  
Rebecca looked at Jill a little surprised. She says to the older woman. "I'm a little surprised to hear you say that Jill. I mean after all that had happened isn't it kind of a relief to worry?"  
  
"Honestly at first that's all I could do, and truthfully I still constantly worry. The difference now is I'm sick of that worry controlling me. I'll never find Chris that way, after all this time I'm just starting to realize that."  
  
"What do you do then, what do you do to suppress the hopelessness?"  
  
"I work my ass off, I work because that's the only sure way I know of finding him, but I also do something else."  
  
"And what's that?"  
  
"I hope."  
  
Rebecca gave into a chuckle. This didn't sound like her little pessimistic Jill Valentine. However, circumstance changes everyone. Maybe these horrible events have changed Jill for the better.  
  
"Give me your arm Jill. I'm going to work my ass off so everyone's hope isn't in vain."  
  
And that's exactly what she did.  
  
She extracted Jill's blood, and spent hours upon hours studying it. And after two solid weeks Rebecca finally had something. It wasn't the cure, but it was something pretty damn close.  
  
Afraid of getting Jill and Claire too excited about what she discovered Rebecca took her findings to Leon.  
  
"What is it exactly?" He asked.  
  
"It's a prototype."  
  
"A prototype of what, Chris' cure?"  
  
"Could be," she answered "From only Jill's blood sample it's hard to tell."  
  
"Well how can you know for sure?"  
  
"Jill's vaccine only took away the virus from taking over her body; it didn't take the virus away all together. I need a blood sample that's fully cured. Someone who had the virus and now has absolutely no traces of it. The problem is finding someone like that. Do you know any place where I would be able to get that type of sample?"  
  
Hesitantly Leon answered. "I might." And without another word he walked away.  
  
* * *  
  
As soon as Rebecca said she needed another sample Leon knew where he  
would have to eventually get it, but that didn't mean he liked it.  
  
This war with Umbrella had taken a lot of things from a lot of people,  
but robbery of a child's innocence, well in Leon's opinion that took the  
cake.  
  
Sherry, had seen the evils of Raccoon just as much as Claire and  
himself had, more so if you consider what happened to her parents. Those  
horrors, even to a full grown adult, let alone a child change a person.  
  
Leon had been in contact with Sherry, and as much as she appeared to  
be a normal thirteen year old girl there was something wrong. Leon saw it  
in her eyes. They weren't the careless eyes of a thirteen year old girl;  
they were the eyes of a burdened soul. For that alone Leon swore that  
Umbrella would pay.  
  
That's why Leon hesitated when Rebecca asked him for another sample.  
He didn't want Sherry involved more then absolutely necessary in this  
mess that consumed the rest of their lives.  
  
When Leon went to Claire with the information Rebecca had just told  
him her immediate reaction was the same as his.  
  
"Leon, there's no way I'm letting Sherry get involved. There has to be  
another way to get a sample."  
  
"I completely agree Claire I just wanted to run it by you, since it  
concerns you the most with Chris.with Chris in his current conditions I  
thought you might want as many options as physically allowed to you."  
  
Once the words had left his mouth, Claire's expression immediately  
changed. It was no longer firm and strong, but soft and hesitant.  
  
"And there are no other means for Rebecca to get a sample?" She asked  
him.  
  
"Well there could be somewhere out there," he told her "But it's  
really no guarantees. Even if we do find a lab or facility that might  
contain some samples there's no saying that they'll be the type we need.  
So"-  
  
"So it's a chance either way." Claire said cutting him off.  
  
"That's pretty much the case."  
  
Claire sat there for a moment thinking things over. At last she looked  
up at him it seemed she had reached a conclusion.  
  
"If you and I just go.maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Were not getting  
her involved were just, just"-  
  
"Just visiting." Leon said this time cutting her off.  
  
Claire smiled hesitantly at him. "Is that awful? Am I putting myself  
and my own needs in front of Sherry's safety?"  
Leon shook his head. "Were just visiting, and taking a quick sample of  
her blood. We'll be sure to check with Sherry's aunt and more importantly  
Sherry before we go ahead with anymore."  
  
"I really don't want to get her involved Leon."  
  
"I know you don't," Leon told her reassuringly. "This is just  
something that for Chris' sake must be done. I know it, you know it, and  
soon Sherry will know it too."  
  
Nodding to herself Claire says to him.  
  
"I really want to see her too."  
  
"We both do." Leon told her.  
  
Together they got off from the bed they were sitting on to go find the  
others.  
  
Within an hour everything was arranged. They talked to the groups, and  
all were of course supportive of the idea. Once they had everyone's  
consent Claire went to call Ms. Lanely, Sherry's aunt, while he got  
instructions from Rebecca on how to extract Sherry's blood sample.  
  
When all was said and done Leon and Claire left their humble Seattle  
apartment and boarded a plane to Atlanta.  
  
Needless to say on the plane Claire was restless, Leon couldn't blame  
her he was about jumping out of his skin.  
  
Once arriving in Atlanta Claire wasted no time on finding a cab, they  
arrived at Sherry's aunt's house two hours earlier then they expected.  
Regardless, Claire knocked on Ms. Lanely's door anxiously.  
  
A portly woman with curly blond hair that went all over the place  
answered.  
  
"Miss Redfield and Mr. Kennedy I presume?" The woman asked smiling.  
  
Neither he nor Claire were given the chance to respond the woman's  
question for at that moment Sherry came charging into the room.  
  
"Claire!" She screamed running into Claire's embrace.  
  
The two of them fell over in a fit of giggles. And for the one moment as  
Leon watched them he forgot about all the troubles, all the danger, all  
the anxiety. For that moment Leon simply enjoyed.  
  
"My god Sherry, you've defiantly grown." Claire said as she struggled up  
from the floor.  
  
"Are you calling me fat?" Sherry said pretending to be angry, it hardly  
worked.  
  
"Yeah Sherry," Claire teased. "You're like a cow."  
  
The two girls smiled at each other one last time before Sherry turned to  
Leon.  
  
"How's it going?" He asked the youngster.  
  
"It's going." She replied embracing him in their own hug.  
  
Leon held tighter then he intended to with the young girl, it caught him  
off guard how much he actually missed her.  
  
When they separated Sherry asked the two of them.  
  
"How long are you guys going to be staying?"  
  
Leon and Claire looked at each other, that moment that Leon had been  
enjoying was gone. It was back to business again.  
  
It was Claire who finally answered Sherry's question.  
  
"I'm afraid not very long kiddo, there's other things that.well there are  
things that are going on that Leon and I have to get back to."  
  
And that was that. He extracted the blood sample from Sherry. After that  
they enjoyed a nice dinner with Sherry, and her aunt. It was a wonderful  
evening, but unfortunately all good things must come to an end.  
  
They wrapped up dinner and regrettably said their goodbyes. Before Leon  
knew it both he and Claire were in a cab making their way back to the  
airport.  
  
As they were traveling his eye caught with Claire's, he knew exactly what  
she was thinking. Setting his hand on top of hers he said to her.  
  
"We'll be back soon. I promise."  
  
Claire simply nodded then continued to look out the window.  
  
Leon hated not knowing what was going to happen, but if he knew anything  
he knew this. He was going to keep that promise.  
  
* * *  
  
The wait for Claire and Leon to return was terrible. They hadn't been gone that long, but with ever passing moment it felt like an eternity. Jill was counting anxiously on the resolution that would occur once they returned; once they were home everything would change.  
  
It had now been eight months since Jill had last seen Chris. Eight months since she saw his eyes look upon her own, eight months since she seen his warm bright smile, eight months since she felt the comfort that only Chris Redfield could give her.  
  
Their first journey apart was horrible, but this was simply unbearable.  
  
It wasn't supposed to be this way. She was supposed to be with Chris, they were supposed to be together. They were supposed to be so much.  
  
What Jill was mostly feeling at the moment was regret. So many times Jill wanted to tell Chris how she felt; she wanted to tell how much he meant to her.  
  
It wasn't fair what was happening to them. They should have had a normal life, not one riddled with constant chaos and danger.  
  
Jill was wrapped in her damned thoughts when she felt a heavy body take a seat next to her on the couch.  
  
"Penny for your thought?" Barry asked, his voice rarely ever leaving its positive tone.  
  
Jill not in the mood for Barry's optimism simply answered.  
  
"It's nothing."  
  
"Nothing, right." Barry said skeptically.  
  
The two sat there in silence. From her spot on the couch Jill watched Rebecca and Carlos' interaction in the kitchen. Rebecca was all giggles while Carlos' charming smile never left his face.  
  
Jill didn't know what to make of the two. An odd couple it would be, yet not necessarily weird either.  
  
Barry must have been watching them two, because with a hearty laugh he says to her.  
  
"You know when you and Chris first met each other that you were exactly the same way they are."  
  
It was Jill's turn to give Barry a skeptical look. "Chris and I were nothing, but professional towards each other."  
  
At that Barry laughed. "Yeah and I'm a rock star."  
  
Jill punched Barry in the shoulder a little harder then just playfully. That, however, didn't stop the weapons expert.  
  
"You guys would always joke around with each other and sneak glances at each other when you thought no one else was looking. And don't think for one moment that none of us knew you two would stay after work with each other doing god knows what."  
  
"We did work." Jill said defensively.  
  
Barry gave her a half smile before going quiet again.  
  
He was right, Jill was just too proud to admit it. She and Chris 'would' always joke with each other, they 'would' always steal glances at each other, and they 'would' always stay after work together. Unfortunately in those cases they were always working.  
  
"I miss him so much." Jill said out from their silence.  
  
"I know, we all do."  
  
"It's so unfair," she cried letting the tears she had been holding on to escape. "Chris and I.Chris and I.we were never given a chance. I mean I'm not even sure how he felt, but god it kills me every time I think about what could have been."  
  
Barry let out a long sigh, and after wrapping one arm around Jill in a fatherly manner he said to her.  
  
"I don't want to hear you talk like that Jill. You and Chris will have your chance, it be too cruel if you didn't. As far as what Chris felt for you," Barry stopped for a moment letting out a wide grin. "Well like I said before I saw the way he looked at you. He adored you Jill, no matter what happens you should never doubt that."  
  
Jill had said the same words in her head a thousand times, but hearing them from Barry, it made all the difference.  
  
She gave Barry a big hug before getting off the couch to make a pot of coffee.  
She was only putting the filter into the coffee maker when the door slammed open. A frazzled Claire and Leon came barging into the apartment. Jill's heart stopped at the sight of them, knowing what it meant.  
  
Claire immediately locked eyes with her. At that moment Jill knew this was it; they were going to save Chris.  
  
AUTHORS NOTE:  
I really like writing the conversation between Jill and Rebecca and Jill and Barry in this chapter. I like giving Jill a connection with some people other then Chris. Anyways, thanks again to everyone out there reading. Always, Leah 


	9. Edge of Death

CHAPTER 9  
  
Edge of Death  
  
"Arr." Chris roared banging his fist against the cell bars.  
  
"Shut up would ya, you ugly freak." Spat the guard posted to his cell. The guards words only irritated Chris even more.  
  
With a loud growl Chris started ramming his entire body against the steel bars of his cell. The ground would vibrate with every hit. This action really captured the guard's attention. He stood up from his chair and moved towards Chris.  
  
"Make one more sound and I'll beat you so hard I'll knock the ugly outta ya!" The guard snapped.  
  
Chris couldn't quite register what the guard was saying; all he knew was he was stupid enough to come within arms reach.  
  
Quickly Chris grabbed the guard around the neck. It didn't take much pressure before Chris took the life out of him. Disappointed he threw the dead body aside.  
  
Chris turned back to his lonely cell when he heard the opening of the basement doors. Chris turned back around savagely to see who it was.  
  
He wasn't able to recognize much either, but it only took one look for him to realize who it was. He roared with anger.  
  
"I'm glad to see you too Chris." Wesker said smugly as he walked up to Chris' cell, smartly stopping a few feet short.  
  
"You're looking as beastly as ever Redfield."  
  
Chris let out another roar.  
  
"Oh don't worry I don't mind." Wesker said a sinister laugh quickly following.  
  
"You know Chris I must admit you've surpassed everything I expected. It's quite remarkable what those scientists can do."  
  
Chris launched himself at Wesker, predictably the bars kept Wesker out of reach.  
  
"Now Chris if it wasn't for that anger of yours we wouldn't be in the predicament that we now find ourselves in. You see despite the scientist best efforts we can't keep you under control, it's that damn 'will' of yours. And as much as I hate to see a will like that die, to be frank I much rather see you die Chris."  
  
Too shocked to react Chris watched as Wesker pulled out a gun and with a simple pull of the trigger shot him right in the left shoulder.  
  
It was like a bolt of electricity had been shot throughout his entire body. His upper torso went into convulsions, as he fell straight to the floor. Chris didn't pass out, much to his dismay. He just lay helplessly on the floor, waiting for whatever evils that were to be done to him next.  
  
Out from the distance he heard Wesker's heartless laugh.  
  
"It's been fun Chris, but the time has come. It's time to end our bitter rivalry."  
  
Once that was said Chris heard the door to his cell being lifted, then he felt Wesker grab hold of him by his ankles and effortlessly dragged him away.  
  
* * *  
  
Once Rebecca had completely finished her antidote for Chris the group wasted no time trying to discover where Umbrella was keeping Chris.  
  
They had long ago given up on trying to find Chris through the computer and Leon's resources. They decided that they had to go right to the source, the Umbrella headquarters in Paris.  
  
It wasn't bad getting in, funny how it never is, the difficult part came when they wanted to get out.  
  
Claire kept recalling her previous adventure into the Umbrella headquarters as they walked stealth fully through the quiet hallways. She remembered the hell of a chase she got last time, and desperately hoped this time the end results were better.  
  
Without a single problem they made it to the main control room, and downloaded Chris' whereabouts easily onto a disk, and were good to go within three minutes.  
  
Claire cursed herself for thinking it would be that easy.  
The alarms started going off the minute they left the control room. The constant ringing triggering a deja vu feeling for Claire, she yelled at everyone to hurry, although they needed little encouragement.  
  
Forgetting any method of stealth the six of them started running full force down the Umbrella hallways, weapons ready.  
  
It wasn't until their exit was within sight that they had there first encounter.  
  
A dozen Umbrella soldiers came between them and their destination, assault rifles aimed and ready.  
  
No one wasted a critical moment. Diving to the ground everyone fired from their floor position. Claire watched as three soldiers fell to the ground; however she didn't relax for a second with nine soldiers still standing strong.  
  
The soldiers' retaliated with a storm of bullets. Claire was thankful that she wasn't hit; she prayed the others were as lucky as she.  
  
Claire fired off another round before diving back to the floor. From that point everything was a blur of madness, guns being shot from all over, the occasional body falling to the ground.  
  
Claire didn't even dare to lift her head from the ground until the gunfire had been dead for several minutes. When she did look up she was overcome with relief in seeing all her comrades standing.  
  
She got up from the floor and stared disgustingly at all the dead bodies that lay on the ground. Grateful when Jill told everyone to hurry up Claire hurried out of the damn building.  
  
They drove very fast away from the Umbrella headquarters. Meanwhile Leon took out his laptop and slid the disk with the stolen information into it.  
  
Everyone, spare Barry who was driving, gathered around Leon waiting as he glanced through the information.  
  
Finally after what felt like an eternity Leon closed his laptop and smiled up at everyone.  
  
"Ladies and gentleman," he said in a low pitched voice. "Next destination, North Carolina."  
  
* * *  
  
Arms spread out and chained against the wall. Chris awoke with his body chained to a stone wall, like Jesus was to the cross.  
  
Nothing was making sense to him. Why the hell was he chained like this? GRRRR, all sense and reason left him as his mind started twirling in insanity.  
  
The madness that had taken over him now consumed him. There was nothing past it, simply put it was blinding.  
  
From the back of his mind Chris heard a voice. He couldn't make out the words, but he could make out the pain that suddenly ran through his body.  
  
Yelling through the pain Chris managed to squint his eyes just enough to see an approaching figure. The sight was enough to make Chris roar in anger.  
  
"Chris, Chris, Chris, why do I always get the impression when I'm around you that you don't like me?" Wesker asked sarcastically, Chris roared in response.  
  
"Ah, I'm going to miss these moments Redfield really I am, but I guess like all good things it must come to an end."  
  
When Chris didn't respond Wesker took the opportunity to continue.  
  
"You see Redfield the contraption that you are in right now is an electrocution device. Waves of electricity flow through those chains that bind you, and go straight through your pathetic excuse for a body. It's all under my control too; I can give you just the tiniest vibrations."  
  
Chris watched as Wesker pulled a large lever. Quicker then lightning he felt a tickle run through his entire body.  
  
"If that's not enough for you Redfield," said Wesker "I can give you a definite jolt."  
  
Wesker pulled down the lever a little further, a sharp pain ran quickly throughout Chris' body.  
  
"It's great isn't it?" Wesker laughed sinisterly "But the fun doesn't stop there. If you really want a good time I can bring the party up a couple of nudges."  
  
The next thing Chris knew was intense pain, a pain so horrible that he found himself begging for death to come. Once he felt like there was nothing left in him the intense pain went away. However, a good amount of it still lingered.  
  
"You like that didn't you Redfield?" Wesker snarled.  
  
Too weak to focus his eyes on his enemy Chris stared dumbly as Wesker moved from several yards away to right next to him in a matter of a millisecond. He felt Wesker's hands grip him around the neck. In a snarling whisper Wesker said to him.  
  
"I hate, hate, hate you Redfield. You were always a pestering asswhole. No worse then that, a maggot form the lowest point of this very earth. If I would have had it my way I would have had you killed the moment you were captured. However, now is a good as time as any."  
  
Chris stared anxiously at Wesker's hand that rested on the lever that determined his fate. He turned back to Wesker when he heard that heinous laugh.  
  
"Fair well Chris Redfield, don't worry I'll take care of the lovely Jill Valentine for you."  
  
Chris savagely gritted his teeth together waiting for the worst. He waited, but the horrible pain never came. Instead a heard Wesker let out a profanity, and when Chris opened his eyes he found out why.  
  
There was no light in the entire room; someone must have turned off the power.  
  
AUTHORS NOTE:  
I know this was a short chapter, but I wanted it to build up to the ending. There should only be two more chapters left. Honestly I really disliked writing this chapter, I prefer staying away from action sequences, but hey I guess that's what Resident Evil is all about.  
I would like to once again thank all that are reading this story; it means so much to me. I like to give a special thanks to Pinquicha, who's taken the time to review each chapter.  
Always,  
Leah 


	10. Dark to Light

CHAPTER 10  
  
Dark to Light  
  
A familiar feeling came over Jill immediately upon infiltrating the facility. It was a feeling that Jill had only experienced a few times before, it was a forewarning. A forewarning to what Jill wasn't exactly sure, all she knew was something was going to happen, something big.  
  
Careful, as they always were, they made their way through the facility.  
  
For Jill with each step that feeling became stronger and stronger. It was a relief when Claire came up to her and whispered.  
  
"Do you have an odd feeling about this?"  
  
Jill nodded vigorously.  
  
"I think this is it," Claire continued to whisper, her body now slightly shaking. "This is where the search is going to end."  
  
Jill didn't respond she was too scared. She had a feeling that it was going to end here too; she was just terrified about HOW it was going to end.  
  
Still problem free the group made it to their planned destination. 'The Power Room,' they figured before they got here that Chris was probably locked up in an electronic cell, the best way of getting him out would be to cut the power.  
  
So that's exactly what they did.  
  
They charged into the room easily taking out the two security guards. It was Carlos who first reached the controls. He slid his hand over the main lever, and looked up at everyone a nervous grin spread across his face.  
  
"Amigos, its party time."  
  
With that said Carlos pushed down the lever, and before a whisper could be spoken darkness had entered the room.  
  
"Come on guys," she whispered to the others leading the way out of the room.  
Walking in darkness they risked walking at a faster pace. They were lucky when Rebecca thought she heard something. Stopping everyone strained their ears and listened as a couple of security guards were walking their way.  
  
"What the hell is going on?" One whispered to his comrade.  
  
"I don't know Ted, but Jesus there's got to be something wrong. Like hell these guys would allow the power to go out, not with all the shit they have running."  
  
"You know they were executing someone today?" said the other guard "One of the prisoners that they were doing the testing on."  
  
Jill felt her whole body tense with such a fear and heartache that she couldn't move. It was the worse feeling in the world, and Jill had felt the most heinous. Thank god her ears were still working or she would have misses what the security guard said next.  
  
"What time was that suppose to happen?"  
  
"Right around now actually, that is if they got it off before the power went off."  
  
Jill was about to attack the two guards forcing them to tell her where they were keeping Chris, but somebody beat her to it.  
  
Carlos had charged the guards knocking one of them unconscious, and the other pinned to the wall.  
  
"Where is that execution happening?!" He yelled at the guard his voice sounded frightening dangerous.  
  
"Why would.I know?" The security guard answered struggling with each word as Carlos had his hands around the guard's neck.  
  
"Because if you don't know I'm going to kill you right here and right now." said Carlos stabbing his assault rifle into the guard's chest.  
  
To this the guard answered. "Down the hall and the first double doors to the left."  
  
Carlos let the guard go, but not after punching him smack dab in the face. As soon as the body hit the floor Carlos turns to her.  
  
"Let's go get him."  
  
None of them even got the chance to take a step, because at that moment they could hear a swarm of guards filling the dark area. To prove this shots from an assortment of guns started being fired.  
  
As they all dodged the bullets Jill could hear Carlos yell at her.  
  
"Jill, you Barry and Claire go ahead; the rest of us will cover you!"  
  
"You won't be able to handle all of them!" She yelled back.  
  
"Don't worry about us," came the sound of Rebecca's high pitched voice "You guys just go get Chris. We'll meet back with you guys in no time."  
  
Jill nodded to them, even though she knew that neither could see her.  
  
She felt for the antidote Rebecca had given to her making sure she still had it. Once that was confirmed she waited for Claire and Barry to join her. They were by her side in a matter of seconds.  
  
"Ready ladies?" asked Barry placing a hand on both Jill and Claire's shoulder.  
  
Neither of them answered, without a word the three of them flopped to the floor and started crawling through the gunfire and down the hall.  
  
It wasn't much of a struggle to get to the other side of them room. In the darkness the enemy had no clue that they were crawling right by their feet.  
  
They didn't dare stand up until the double door that the guard had talked about. Jill stood by the doors that the guard had talked about. Jill stood by the doors not making a single move to proceed. She could feel Claire and Barry's anxious eyes on her, but still she couldn't move.  
  
"What are we waiting for?" Claire asked her voice uncharacteristically impatient.  
  
"I'm scared," Jill told her "scared about what were going to find."  
  
"Well the longer we wait the less were going to find." Barry added hastily.  
  
Coming back to reality Jill nodded and opened the door. It was complete darkness, just like the rest of the facility. Jill wouldn't have even known that they had stepped into another room, if it wasn't for the noise.  
  
It sounded like a battle was going on, there was defiantly a struggle happening. Jill just couldn't see what, who, and where the struggle was.  
  
"Chris!" She cried desperately.  
  
There was a response to her call, but it wasn't Chris. A deep, arrogant voice rang out from the dark.  
  
"Jill Valentine, could that be you?"  
  
Just as she heard her name the power came back on. There standing in the very same room was no one other then Albert Wesker.  
  
Jill took a few steps back.  
  
"Wh.what the hell?" She stuttered.  
  
"Why Jill aren't you happy to see me?" Wesker asked her sarcastically. A devilish grin was spreading across his face.  
  
Barry had now come out from behind her. Jill could see him pulling out his python and pointing it at Wesker's head.  
  
"You son-of-a-bitch!" Spat Barry angrily, seconds away from pulling the trigger. Quickly Jill pulled him back causing him to misfire.  
  
"What the hell!" Barry yelled, but Jill ignored him. Instead she turned back to Wesker.  
  
"Where's Chris!" She yelled at him.  
  
"What don't you recognize him?" Wesker asked trying to sound surprised, he then pointed to the corner. "He's right there."  
  
Jill hadn't even noticed it until that moment. In a heap in the far right corner of the room laid a large monstrous blue body.  
  
"No." She said firmly, not able believing it.  
  
"Oh, I'm afraid so Jill. That thing in the corner is your dear old Chris, or at least it use to be."  
  
As Wesker gave out a horrible laugh Claire started to run to the corner.  
  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you miss Redfield," said Wesker stopping Claire dead in her tracks. "I just shot him with a tranquilizer, but it won't last much longer. And believe me you don't want to be around when he gets up."  
  
"Can I shoot him now?" Barry asked her impatiently.  
  
"Go ahead Barry," Wesker said smugly. "But trust me it won't do you an ounce of good."  
  
"He's right Barry, remember he's not what he use to be," Claire spoke her voice trembling. "He's a monster now."  
  
"That's the monster!" Wesker shouted angrily pointed towards the corner where the body lied.  
  
"No." Jill said again. "I don't, I won't believe it."  
  
"You can believe what you want Jill that's' not my concern. My only concern at the moment is getting rid of the beast before it wakes up."  
  
As Wesker turned his back on them Claire went against her own advice and ran full force toward Wesker. Jill watched in horror as Wesker, faster then she ever seen any human being move before, turned around giving Claire a swift kick in the chest.  
  
She watched paralyzed as Claire's body flew across the room hitting the opposite wall with force, then falling unconsciously to the floor.  
  
Wesker just smirked before turning back around. It was defiantly a surprise when he did. There standing in full force was Chris; Jill had no doubt now that it was him. Even in his monster form his steel icy blue eyes could be seen a mile away.  
  
Wesker was fast enough to move out of Chris' way, but Barry was not. With the force of a gorilla Chris threw Barry across the room, his body landing not too far from Claire's.  
  
Now it was just her and Chris. Tears started to well in her eyes. This was just too cruel. Here they were together, but they mind as well have been worlds apart. Chris seemed to have no recognition that it was her as he ran towards her angrily.  
  
In one last desperate attempt Jill called out to him.  
  
"Chris please, it's me Jill!"  
  
Her words were useless, Chris pursuit never slowed. Helplessly Jill stood there firmly never taking her eyes of Chris'. If this was the way she was going to go, at least she be staring up at his steel blue eyes.  
  
Jill braced herself as Chris lifted his claw into the air, winding it up for the attack. The attack which never came.  
  
Mid-air Chris' arm stopped. Jill stayed staring at Chris eyes as the life that she grown to love so dearly crawled back into them.  
  
AUTHORS NOTE:  
Well one more chapter. At least Jill and Chris are finally together. Like to thank all those again who have stayed with the story this far.  
  
Always, Leah 


	11. In a Heart Beat

CHAPTER 11  
  
In a Heart Beat  
  
Like being born Chris' body started to take form. He was no longer the creature, but the human Jill had grown to love.  
  
Chris' body fell limp to the floor, Jill ran to him wrapping his bare sweaty body in her arms. Burying her face in his shoulder Jill kept repeating his name over and over again in disbelief.  
  
"Chris you're here, you're here, my god Chris."  
  
Chris was now staring up at Jill, a small smile had crept to his face and he whispered to her.  
  
"I never thought I see your beautiful face again."  
  
Wiping the tears from her eyes Jill gave him a soft punch in the shoulder.  
  
"How could you have ever doubted." She whispered back not able to keep the joy from her voice.  
  
Jill felt Chris grab hold of her hand holding it tightly as he tangled his fingers with hers.  
  
"Jill please promise me something."  
  
"What?" Jill asked placing her forehead on Chris' sweaty brow.  
  
"Promise me you'll get out here while you can. Leave me and just get the hell out of here."  
  
"I won't do that." Jill whimpered fiercely.  
  
"Jill listen to me. The virus inside of me.I can't control it any longer. I can feel it taking over my body as we speak. I won't be able to last much longer; you have to get out of here."  
  
"Chris, no I'm not leaving you!"  
  
"Jill, please."  
  
The two were looking at each other fiercely, love and annoyance shining through each of their faces.  
  
At the sound of a cocking pistol Jill and Chris broke their eye contact and looked up. Wesker was standing over them a pistol in hand, and pointing at them.  
  
"Well aren't you two quite the couple."  
  
"Fuck you Wesker." Chris spat.  
  
"Redfield nothing would enjoy me more then killing your right here and now, except for one thing." Wesker moves his gun so it was pointed at her "Watching your pain as I kill your lovely Jill."  
  
"No!" Chris yelled, but that was all he could do as Wesker started to pull the trigger.  
  
Suddenly she watched as Wesker's gun flew out of his hand landing several yards away from where he stood.  
  
They all turned to see Barry standing ten feet away with his smoking python in hand. Barry wasted no time with his next shot, firing off the rest of his round. Jill watched as Wesker dodged all the bullets except for one that hit him in the shoulder. Wesker bent over in pain as blood started to seep from his shoulder. In a mere second, however, the blood stopped flowing and a white foam started fizzling over Wesker's wound. Jill watched mesmerized as the wound began to heal and become no more.  
  
With such a fierce anger that Jill had never seen before Wesker turned to Barry.  
  
"Now you're going to get it Burton!"  
  
As she watched the scene helplessly Jill felt Chris tug lightly on her arm.  
  
"Please go." He whispered.  
  
"Not without you."  
  
Chris gave her a small grin, and then ever so softly kisses her hand. Jill watched in horror as Chris' body began to shake violently. His flesh started to turn blue, and within a blink of the eye Chris was no longer Chris, but once again the produced creature.  
  
In one fierce movement Chris collided his body into Wesker'. The two fell hard to the ground entangled in fierce battle.  
  
Jill lied on the ground helplessly. There was nothing she could do as the two battled it out.  
  
Suddenly everything got a whole lot worse. Alarms started to go off and the entire ground around her started to vibrate. Then like the voice of inedible doom, Jill heard a women's voice echo throughout the room.  
  
"Twenty- minutes until self destruction."  
  
Jill felt her body freeze in place. This couldn't be happening. She looked back over at the fighting Chris and Wesker desperately hoping to see some sign that the struggle would soon be over. There was no sign.  
  
From behind she heard a voice call out her name. Turning around she saw Barry standing there holding Claire's limp body over his shoulder.  
  
"Jill," he shouted. "We gotta get movin!"  
  
"But Chris!" She wailed throwing another glance in his direction.  
  
"There's nothing that can be done. God I wish there was, but unless we get out of here right now it's all over. What do you think Chris would want more, for you to stay here and die in vain, or for you to live?"  
  
Jill thought about it, she knew what Chris wanted, but what about what she wanted? What if she didn't want to go on, always living in the shame of leaving the man she loved behind? What if she didn't always want to be looking back? What if all she wanted was Chris?  
  
Getting up from the ground Jill looked at Barry hoping her expression told him her decision.  
  
Barry nodded in understanding. He placed his hand on her shoulder and said.  
  
"You guys come out as soon as you can. The rest of us will be waiting outside."  
  
Jill gave him an earnest smile. "Then we'll see you then." She told him, hoping against hope that what she was saying was true.  
  
Barry simply nodded, and then without another word he ran out of the room with Claire still riding on his shoulders.  
  
Jill watched until they were out of the room before she turned her attention back to Chris and Wesker.  
  
The two were still duking it out, although the battle wasn't quiet as fierce. Jill could see that fatigue was starting to hit them both, and she could hardly keep herself still when Wesker hit Chris so hard that his entire body flew across the room.  
  
Not knowing what else to do Jill ran after Chris' fallen body. Jill scared out of her mind that Chris wasn't breathing started to bend over to check for his pulse. At that moment, however, Jill felt her body being violently pushed to the side.  
  
"Move aside you ridiculous woman!" She heard Wesker shout at her as he bent down to Chris' body and picked him up by the throat.  
  
"Good by Mr. Redfield," Wesker spat. "I'll see you in hell."  
  
Jill at lost for anything else to do screamed out desperately. "Nooooooo!"  
  
Wesker turned to Jill to give her one last wicked smile, and then quickly turned back to Chris. However, the brief moment was Chris needed. Taking his claw he quickly sliced off Wesker's head.  
  
Jill watched horrified as Wesker's head fell to the ground rolling only a few feet from where she laid. Jill reluctantly looked into Wesker's yellow, devilish eyes. She wanted to find some kind of sympathy for her one time captain, but there was none. Hastily she got up from the ground and ran over to Chris.  
  
Chris was lying on the ground breathing heavily and clutching to his right arm tightly. She knelt down next to him setting his monstrous head on her arm. Jill hadn't realized how massive he really was until she was lying down next to him. Jill could hardly believe that this monster was her Chris.  
  
When he groaned Jill took a hold of his large blue hand and looked into his eyes. They were 'his' eyes, the eyes of Chris Redfield. And for Jill that's all she would ever need.  
  
In barely a whisper she called out his name.  
  
"Chris.Chris it's me Jill. I'm here Chris, I'm right here."  
  
"J.Jill." She heard Chris groan.  
  
Wiping away the tears that had started to roll down her cheeks Jill laid her body gently on top of Chris' chest, yearning to feel the rhythm of his breathing. In a reassuring voice she said to him.  
  
"It's all over Chris. We get to go home now. We get to go home together."  
  
"Jill," Chris said again, but he wasn't allowed to go any further.  
  
Out from what seemed like no where Jill heard that heinous woman's voice continuing her count down.  
  
"Five minutes until self destruction."  
  
Jill turned back to Chris. "We got to go!"  
  
"Jill, you got to go." Chris told her calmly.  
  
"Not without you, now come on!" She cried out desperately.  
  
"Jill," he begged. "I.I can't."  
  
His voice was soft and distant, just like his eyes were as he stared into them.  
  
Jill couldn't believe it. She wasn't going to loose him, not here, not like this. Rolling over so she could wrap her arms around him she felt a bulge in her left pocket. The antidote!  
  
Pissed at herself for completely forgetting about it Jill hastily took the vile out from her pocket, also getting out the syringe. Jill filled the medical tool with Rebecca's cure. After one quick pray Jill injected Chris with the needle.  
  
"Don't think I'm going to let you get away from me that easily Mr. Redfield."  
  
When she was finished with the needle she threw it to the side and anxiously watched Chris praying to god that it worked.  
  
When nothing was happening Jill sat there defeated. She cursed herself for not knowing better. Seconds later Chris' blue body started to become paler and paler until there was no trace of blue left on him. The claws started to shrivel and human hands began to emerge. As if god had simply snapped his fingers Chris' body was no longer in it's monstrous form, but was back to its regular shape.  
  
Only concentrated on Chris' eyes Jill helped him sit up. They stared at each other yearningly. There was so much to say, but as always was the case there was no time to say any of it for the woman's voice once again brought them back to reality.  
  
"One minute until self destruction."  
  
The two of them looked at each other urgently.  
  
"Let's get the hell out of here." Jill said as they both ran to the door.  
  
* * *  
  
Claire woke up and found herself surrounded by the lovely forest that surrounded Umbrella's North Carolina facility. She quickly spotted Leon, Barry, Rebecca and Carlos all piled around her. Their eyes all focused anxiously at the facility.  
  
Claire herself was full of confusion. How she got here was beyond her. The last thing she remembered was attacking Wesker then being kicked harder then she thought was physically possible.  
  
As she was trying to organize her thoughts she heard Leon say her name moving everyone's attention away from the facility.  
  
"Hey there." Leon said calmly as he bent down next to her. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Confused," Claire told him honestly. "What are we doing out here? Where's Jill.Where's Chris?"  
  
Nobody said anything. They all just sadly turned to the facility. Nothing else needed to be said.  
  
"No." Claire moaned softly.  
  
That's all she could do. The news was devastating beyond belief. Hoping that Jill and her brother would come crawling into view any minute. Claire gave her eyes to the facility like the others.  
  
It hadn't been more then ten seconds when all Claire's hopes where capped off by a gigantic explosion.  
  
She stared at the facility as the flames engulfed it. Words simply couldn't be processed, feelings couldn't be sorted. All Claire could do was stare at the wreck dumbly, it was like all her life had been sucked out of her, leaving behind a useless shall.  
  
Chris was.Chris was.the words couldn't even form in her head. The travesty was overbearing.  
  
At some point Claire fell to her knees. Everything was gone. It no longer mattered that a company was on the verge of earth's destruction, or that they were the only one's that could stop them. Chris was gone, everything else now seemed ridiculous.  
  
Claire felt Leon kneel down next to her.  
  
"Claire, "I'm so sor"- Leon didn't get any farther when he was interrupted by Carlos' outburst.  
  
"Holy Shit!" the Hispanic shouted, and then made a mad sprint back towards the facility.  
  
Claire looked up to see what got Carlos so worked up. She wasn't going to allow herself the luxury of hope.  
  
Claire strained her eyes out to the distance. There she spotted two figures slowly making their way across the Umbrella facility's long fields.  
  
Not thinking twice about what to do next Claire hastily got up from the ground and followed Carlos' suite in running towards the figures in the distance.  
  
* * *  
  
Jill held up most of his weight as they struggled across the open field that lay in front of them.  
  
They hadn't said a word since the explosion. Both were too scared and exhausted for words. Chris was fairly sure they were both just running on pure adrenaline at the moment, and even that was running out.  
  
As they stumbled across the field Chris started to here screaming out in the distance. Chris looked over at Jill, who must have heard the voice too, because she had suddenly stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes focused off into the distance.  
  
Chris looked out further down the field. There he saw the most beautiful sight, running towards them were five figures. It didn't take Chris three guesses to tell who those figures were.  
  
Carlos was the first to reach them. The first thing he did was take Chris' weight off Jill and placed him gently on the ground. Seconds later an exhausted Jill collapsed right next to him.  
  
The others weren't far behind Carlos. The next person he saw was his sister who, despite his condition, threw herself on top of him.  
  
"Chris, Jesus I thought I never see you again. How did you two.hell it doesn't even matter!"  
  
His sister grabbed hold of him again, her arms wrapped around him as tightly as possible, as painful as it was Chris didn't say anything. The feeling of being with his sister was a hundred times stronger then the pain.  
  
The others were just as thrilled to see him, although thankfully less aggressive. Chris couldn't believe it when he saw Rebecca. He never wanted to get her involved in this mess again, but now that she was here Chris had never been so grateful.  
  
Eventually the excitement died down, and the others went to take care of a few things so they could get the hell out of here.  
  
As they were waiting for Rebecca to bring back some medical supplies for them Chris turned over to look at Jill, who was looking back at him. The two smiled at each other.  
  
A wave of emotions swirled inside of Chris at that moment. There was so much to say, it had been over six months since he had seen her last. Six months where so much had happened that Chris didn't even know where to begin.  
  
Deciding not to begin with words Chris reached out his hand and grabbed hold of Jill's. As their hands intertwined Chris took the moment to enjoy the feeling of his skin against hers, even if it was a simple gesture as holding hands.  
  
It was Jill who finally broke the silence. Still holding his hand she asked him.  
  
"So where do we go from here?"  
  
"Well," he began "Umbrella's still out there even if Wesker is not. I know I can't stop until I know that companies put to rest. Too many innocent lives are at stake."  
  
Jill simply nodded. Chris wasn't quite sure he answered what she was actually asking. He didn't go any further, however, the other answer was too complicated. No one knows what the future holds, but as long as Jill along with his sister and friends were in it Chris knew he be okay.  
  
After their first attempt at conversation they went quiet for awhile. This time it was Chris' turn to break the silence.  
  
"Jill, I want to thank you. You went beyond the means that I deserve. I'm mad as hell at you for not leaving me when you should have, but at the same time I'm eternally grateful."  
  
"Chris you make it sound like I was just doing you a favor. I did nothing more then what you would have done in a heart beat for me."  
  
Although what she was saying was true Chris wasn't able to respond. How could he tell her what he had been bottling up inside for years?  
  
"Jill," he began feeling his insides churning around and around. "You know whenever I was going through the worst times I thought about you. I know this probably sounds ridiculous, but you helped me. Just thinking about you brought light to even the darkest of times. I guess what I'm trying to say is.Jill Valentine I lo"-  
  
Chris didn't get a chance to finish his sentence. He felt himself suddenly embraced in a passionate kiss, one filled with so much emotion, one filled with so much desire that Chris never wanted it to end.  
  
When it did end Chris finally told Jill what he should have told her a long time ago.  
  
"I love you Jill."  
  
Jill cuddled up next to him so their faces where only a breath away, there she whispered to him.  
  
"I love you too Chris."  
  
The two let out an innocent laugh. Chris shakes his finger playfully at Jill.  
  
"But if you ever go searching for me again."  
  
"Oh shut up Chris you know I'll always go to the end of the world and back again for you."  
  
Chris just smiles and the two once again indulged themselves with a kiss.  
  
God only knew what lay ahead of them. It sure as hell wasn't going to be easy, but then again anything actually worth it never is.  
  
The only thing Chris knew was this was the beginning. The beginning of what he wasn't sure, but as he looked at Jill he knew it was the beginning of something amazing.  
  
THE END  
  
AUTHORS NOTE:  
Well that's the end, or at least the beginning of the end. When I started writing this story I had a trilogy in mind, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to stick with that. I know the whole Chris/Jill scenario in this story was rather corny, but I think in the next two stories it will defiantly get better.  
The next story which I just started writing I think is a hundred times better then this one. I have some plot twist in there that even surprise me, and it's given me the chance to go more in depth with the characters.  
I would like to thank all those who actually stayed with this story the whole way through. Sometimes the idea that other people are reading this is mind blowing to me, and I would just like to take the opportunity to thank all those who had given me there support.  
Bloodlover, tek, ktdid, Junnie, Chris Redfield Fan, Rob, and a special thanks to Pinquicha.  
So I guess this is it. Thanks again, I hope you all enjoy my next story which I should start posting in the next month or two.  
  
Always,  
Leah 


End file.
